The Breaking Point
by Confessed4Life
Summary: Returning home, Richard informs his wife that the tyrant they had once fought has returned and now they must not only face him again, but deal with the pain and destruction he brings upon them.
1. Chapter 1

Richard walked in quietly, being careful not to make a sound as he closed the door. Keeping is eyes on her, he pulled off his boots, laying them softly on the floor before tip-toeing to the bed, pulling his shirt over his head just as he reached the edge. She laid in the center of the bed, his pillow clutched to her chest as she slept. It had been nearly two months since he had seen her and the sight before him made his knees go weak. She was wearing one of his shirts and by the sight of one of her legs peeking out from the blankets, he was sure that was all she was wearing.

Carefully, he lifted up the blanket, making sure that it didn't lift from her as he laid down behind her. Snuggling closer to her, he wrapped an arm around her waist, pulling himself closer to her. Almost instantly she reached for him, grabbing his arm and holding it against her for a moment before she rolled onto her back. With her eyes still closed, Kahlan turned her head towards the warmth of his breath, fighting back a smile as she pressed her lips against his.

"Mm, you're not due back until tomorrow." she whispered as she ran her hand over his chest, rolling onto her side to face him.

"I couldn't stand to be away from you for another moment."

Opening her eyes, she smiled widely. "I've missed you."

Trailing his hand up her arm, he let it come to rest on her cheek, pushing back a few strands of hair with his fingers. "I missed you too. So much." he whispered as she pulled herself against him. "I felt that I would go mad if I went another night without you in my arms."

His hand moved slowly, being sure to linger on the flesh of her neck for a moment longer before moving over her arm and under the blankets. Upon reaching the edge of his shirt, he lifted it up, sliding his hand over her skin. He had dreamed of it often, in the time he was gone, not a moment passed where he wasn't thinking about her. The taste of her lips, the feel of her skin against his and the sound of her moans as he explored her body. He watched as she closed her eyes to his touch, anticipating the thrilling pleasure it would provide her.

"I think it would be easier if I just took off your shirt." she breathed out as it bunched up around her breasts, keeping him from moving any farther.

"Mm, I don't know. I like you in it."

She smiled seductively, biting on her lower lip. "I'm sure you will like me just as much out of it."

"I have no doubt." he breathed out roughly as he slowly began to unbutton the cloth that covered her.

He kept his eyes locked on hers, watching as her eyes darkened with passion as he stoked her skin after each button was released. Her heart hammered against her chest, pounding against his hand as he pushed open the shirt. She watched as his eyes left hers, pausing on her lips for a moment, before rushing to her chest. Her breasts rose and fell quickly with her scattered breaths of anticipation. The hunger in his eyes thrilled her, making her even more eager for his touch. The anticipation was driving her insane, grabbing his hand she laid over her breast, aching her back upward, pushing herself into his palm.

The soft moan that escaped her lips was muffled by one of his own as he allowed his eyes to close for a moment and focus on the feel of her skin. It was intoxicating. Without a moment of hesitation, Richard sat up and moved over her, moving one knee to either side of her as he pulled the blanket from her. He looked over her slowly, taking in everything. It had been too long since he had seen her, he wanted to be sure he spared no detail. Slowly, his fingers traced over her chest to her stomach, following the freckles that covered her skin. She watched him as he leaned forward, pressing his lips lightly against her skin, savoring the moment before he began to kiss her frantically.

Instantly, her hands went to his head, holding him to her as he covered her chest and breasts with kisses. His passion poured into her, setting her on fire as she pushed herself up into his lips, silently begging for more. Snaking his tongue out, Richard slowly licked over her chest, finding it very difficult to take his time rediscovering her body. Now breathing heavily, Kahlan pulled at his hair, taking his lips from her chest and crashing hers against his. Her tongue eagerly pushed past his lips, colliding with his, fighting for dominance.

Wrapping her arms around his shoulders, she held him to her, leaving no space between them. He now, as her legs wrapped around him, wished that he had removed his pants before he crawled into the bed. Running his hands over her thighs, he pulled away from her, giving her just enough room for her to slide her hands between them and unlace his pants. She made quick work of the laces and pushed the cloth from his waist with her legs. Moving off of her, he kicked the pants to the floor. He was only away from her for a second, but when he turned back to her, she had sat up and repositioned herself behind him.

Laying him back, she moved over him, holding herself up by a hand on his chest. Shaking his shirt from her shoulders, she moved her lips over his jaw, kissing him slowly as he had done to her. Messaging her fingers into his chest, Kahlan kissed her way over him, being sure to slow her motions as she slipped her tongue onto his skin. Her warm breath blowing over his moist skin sent shivers down his spine, making him reach up and hold her head to him, entangling his fingers into her thick hair. She began to grind herself against him, feeding off of her name leaving his lips.

Grabbing her thighs, he pulled her roughly against him, helping her get pressure where she needed it. She threw her head back, sitting up over him, her hair falling around her as she continued moving, using his motions to guide her onward. Her breathing was now pants as she raked her nails into his chest, clawing at him as she claimed higher and higher. Unable to keep from her warmth any longer, he lifted her from him and pushed her back as he sat forward, lining them up. They pressed their foreheads against each other, sharing breaths as she slid down onto him, each letting out a gasp at the contact. Richard held her tightly against him, her breasts flattened against his chest as they kissed passionately.

Laying against his chest, Kahlan slowly traced her fingers over the muscles of his chest, smiling as they flexed against her touch. "What did you find?" she asked.

"The temple was empty. We must have just missed them." He replied, tightening his hold on her. "There was no sign as to where they went, so I-"

"Came back to make sure he hadn't killed me?" she smiled, knowing that it was the truth. He wouldn't risk not getting to her in time.

"For a while, I was so afraid that I could be too late. I couldn't stand the thought, so I pushed on harder. I had to get to you before he did." He felt her nails dig into his chest for a moment at his words, before she realized and pulled her hand from him and sat up.

"We don't know if the rumors are even true. He may not-"

Leaning on his elbows, he closed his eyes for a moment, wishing that she hadn't asked him about this just yet. He wanted to hold her for as long as possible. "It's no longer a rumor. One of his soldiers survived. Kahlan, Darken Rahl revived Nicci and he has her working for him. Together, they're more powerful than anything we can imagine and they're coming after you."

"Us." she corrected him, needing him to understand that he too was in danger. "It's not just one of us that they want to kill." Grabbing a blanket, she wrapped herself in it and turned around to face him completely as he sat up. "And I know you. You're going to try to send me away, to protect me, but I won't go. I'm not going to run off and hide while you put yourself in danger."

"Kahlan, listen to me. I can't lose you. I won't. If that means that you're going to hide-"

"No." she shook her head, refusing to let him have a moment where he thought she would run away and hide. "I'm not going to hide. This is our life."

"I know, but you're too important to-"

"I'm too important?" she snapped as she thew her hands up into the air, releasing the blanket to fall to her waist. "What about you? I am no important to anyone than you are to me and I am not going to run away and hide when you're going to out there and put your life in more danger. You're too important to me- I love you too much to do it. I'm not going to leave your side."

He stared at her, finding himself falling impossibly more in love with her. "I don't want you to get hurt."

"If you make me leave, you will hurt me more than anything they could do to me." she whispered as he took her hands in his and gave them a gentle squeeze. "Please don't make me hide."

Finding himself speechless, Richard continued to stare at her while he searched for words. "Kahlan," he started, knowing that saying her name would make the rest come easier. "I'm sorry." the words flowed from his lips as he realized how she felt. "I didn't want to hurt you. I- Kahlan, I just don't want to lose you and I have this terrible fear that you're going to get hurt. If I lost you, I couldn't go on- I wouldn't want to. I would die on the spot."

A small smile crossed her lips as she reached a hand to his cheek, gently caressing it. "And I'd kill you for it. If something happens to me, you have to survive." Her voice was quiet, her eyes lowered for a moment, afraid that he would see. "You'll have to protect our child." she whispered as she met his eyes.

He tilted his head, afraid that he had heard her wrong. Afraid, even more now, that something would happen. His mind filled with thoughts, each screaming something different, but the one screaming the loudest told him to hide her. "How long have you known?"

The mix of fear and excitement in his eyes did not go unnoticed, but she said nothing of it. "I realized to days after you left."

He nodded quickly, a smile crossing his lips as he leaned forward and pulled her into his arms. "You're not leaving my side." he whispered as he leaned back, laying down, clutching her tightly in his arms. "We're going to have a baby." he said, happiness filling his voice as he allowed himself to imagine what their life would be like with their child. She smiled against his chest as he tightened his hold on her.

"Where's Kahlan?"

Richard turned around to his friends voice, surprised not only by her question, but to see her alone. "What are you talking about, she was with you." He rushed over to her, instantly grabbing her shoulders. "Where is she?"

"I don't know." she said calmly, "She said she was coming to see you."

Shaking his head, he pushed her towards the door. "When? Where?"

"We were in the courtyard not an hour ago." she answered as he pulled her through the hallway, making their way to the courtyard. "She's not going to be there, she left before I did."

"Which way did she go?" He rushed quickly in the direction that Cara pointed, not waiting for her to keep up. "Kahlan?" he shouted through the open, empty hallway as he looked around, being sure to look through every opening. His heart stopped at the blood on the ground and he had to push himself on as he followed the blood drops that grew with each step. He was afraid to think who it belonged to.

They didn't follow the trail long before it ended and the sight made Richard collapsed to his knees in agony. Part of the white dress of The Mother Confessor, his Confessor, laid before him, covered in blood and dirt, from where it had been drug from. Kahlan wouldn't have gotten far from Cara when she was attacked and the way the room looked, he knew there had to have been a loud struggle. The vases that were previously seated on the short pillars around the pond had been brought to the ground and shattered and the once clear pound was now a dark red from the blood of the man laying face first in it.

"Didn't you hear any of this?" he asked coldly as he struggled to find his own breath. "You had to have heard this. She wouldn't be taken away quietly and by the look of this blood- all this blood, she had to have cried out in pain."

Cara didn't reply, she didn't know what to say. Instead, she stepped to the pond and turned the man over, looking upon his face. "She must have killed him with one of the vases. There's a piece in his neck. She may have gotten away."

"No." he shook his head, tears filling his eyes as he stood up and walked to the edge of the area, looking out into the trees. "They would have sent more for her. She wouldn't have stood a chance after loosing all of that blood. Spirits, our child." he whispered, drawing the Mord'Sith's attention. Anger filled up within him as he had only known while holding the sword and though he didn't have it with him, he could feel it raging on within him as he turned around to Cara. "You've failed her. You've failed me." he said coldly, before pushing past her and running through halls. He needed his sword if he was going to murder everyone who could have done this to the woman he loved.

Pushing open their bedroom door, he raced inside and jerked his sword and scabbard from the back of the chair that sat next to the bed. His eyes lingered on the ruffled sheets, reminding him of the night before, the night he returned and made love to her, the night she had told him of their child. His heart pounded, desperately trying to free itself from the confinement of his chest, needing to be set free to find her. Shaking the thoughts from his mind, he turned around, eager to leave the room and be on his way. Instantly, he turned around, drawing his sword as someone entered the room behind him.

"Easy boy," Zedd said as he stepped back from his grandson. "It's just me. Where's Kahlan? The council was expecting her." The fury and pain on Richard's face suddenly registered with the wizard, filling him with worry. "What's wrong?"

"Someone has taken my wife." he sneered through gritted teeth, clutching the sword in his hands, feeding off of the anger it provided him. "I'm going to kill them for what they've done to her. And if they've harmed our child... They will regret ever hearing our names."

Zedd pushed back the urge to ask about the child, knowing that if he didn't stop Richard now, he would likely walk into his grave, destroying any chance of saving Kahlan and the rest of the world. "Calm down," he whispered, reaching for the sword.

"No!" he shouted, tightening his hold on the weapon. "I will not calm down, until I have pushed this sword through every man, woman and child that helped them take her from me. I will not rest until their blood dries on my hands and I have my wife in my arms. I tell you now, if you try to stop me, I will kill you."

The wizard stepped back instantly, seeing the truth of his words in the eyes of the young man standing angrily before him. "Very well, but Cara and I will come with you. You shouldn't do this on your own."

Richard shook his head, the anger continuing to build within him. "No. She betrayed me. She allowed them to take her, to harm her! She should have protected her!" It was then that he released the tears that filled his eyes, letting them go to stream like a waterfall down his cheeks. "She should have protected her."

"It's not her fault, Richard." Zedd said softly, watching as the Sword of Truth glowed brighter in his anger. "She could not have known-"

"She knew! I told her they were coming for her- for us and she had only o protect her. She should have died before letting them harm her!" He shouted back, his voice echoing loudly throughout the room and down the hall.

Shaking his head, Zedd took in a deep breath, wishing that he could say something that would calm the steaming man before him, the man drowning in his own anger. "We're going to get her back." He knew that those words would be the only ones that would be accepted.

Giving only a nod, Richard pushed past the older man and ran down the hall, nearly knocking down the guard that turned the corner. "Seeker," he breathed out as he stepped back. "The Mord'Sith- your Mord'Sith, she has gone. She asked me to inform you. She seemed rather determined to find blood. I fear for anyone standing between her and The Mother Confessor."

Staring at the man, Richard gave a small growl. "You need only to fear for those who stand in my way."

His tone filled the man with fear, sending him back another few steps. "Sir." he replied, unable to say anything else with the anger flowing from Richard's eyes piercing through him.

Running past him, Richard rushed to catch Cara, not wanting her to get near Kahlan before he had the chance to.


	2. Chapter 2

She couldn't see anything, something covered her eyes. Jerking her hands up, she tried to remove the cloth, only to find her hands chained to the floor, giving her only enough space to reach her shoulders. Panic flooded through her as she tried to feel her surroundings. She sat on the ground, she could feel the coldness of the stone on her legs, letting her know that she was inside. Straining her ears, Kahlan tried to hear anything that would tell her where she was or who she had been taken by. She couldn't remember how she had gotten there or even - She didn't remember anything. The feel of something, she was sure was blood, dripping down part of her face, had to be the reason.

Feeling dizzy, she leaned back into a corner, giving her a small sense as to where she was. Touching her legs, she ran her hands up, trying to figure out why she was so cold and finding out how much of her clothing was missing. She let out a soft cry as she touched her thighs, the pain almost unbareable as she traced over what appeared to be a botch job of stitching a wound closed. Crying softly, she lifted her knees to her chest, wrapping her arms around them. She turned her head quickly towards the sound of a door opening, wishing that she could see who approached her.

Within moments hands were upon her, pulling her from the wall and spreading her legs as someone knelt down before her. She cried out instantly, begging him to leave her alone, begging him not to do what he was doing. He didn't reply. He said nothing as she jerked around him, doing everything she could to try and get away. He was too strong and she found herself unable to find the energy to fight anymore. Tears fell, collecting in the cloth as she laid there, praying silently that someone, anyone would save her.

Time passed slowly, hours felt like days and the days felt like years. Soon, she was unable to keep track of the time. The only thing that she was sure of was the difference in the hands of the men who touched her and once the cloth was removed from her eyes, she wished it hadn't been. As long as she was in the dark, she was able to tell herself that it wasn't real, but seeing it, seeing the look in their eyes was unbearable. She would never forget their faces. There was one, he visited her often, watching as the others played with her, keeping their time with her short as he waited for his turn. It was made clear who it was that she belonged to. She was his and she didn't even know his name.

No longer putting up a fight, she was released from the chains and allowed to walk around the small room, though she found it difficult to move through the pain. Someone was sent in daily to redress her wounds, stopping the bleeding in the most painful of ways. She stayed in the corner of the room, directly before the door, she had to see who entered, needed the time to prepare for what was going to happen to her. The door opened and instantly after seeing who entered, she laid down on the floor and waited. She never fought him. Not after he had saved her from one of the other men. He wasn't like the others, he was gentle and never left directly after he was finished with her. Though he never said much, it was a small comfort to have him there, if only to have him sitting next to her.

He removed his pants as he walked towards her, never wearing them as he took her, they took away from the experience. The white dress she had been wearing had been removed more times than she could remember, at one point she had tried to keep it removed, but found that they rather enjoyed removing it themselves. It made her sick, but she remained quiet, hoping that soon she would be set free.

He pulled from her quickly, turning around to the loud screams and shouting from behind the door. No one would dare do anything to interrupt him. Standing, he tossed her what was left of her white dress. "Get dressed." He said softly as he walked to the door. As he got closer, the noise grew louder, the sound of steel clashing together as the unseen battle raged on. "Keep away from the door." He ordered, knowing who it was that had come. This was a battle he was not going to survive. "If someone other than me comes through this door, their intention is to kill you."

The moment the door closed, she dressed herself quickly and stared at the door, waiting, hoping for him to return. She could hear the cries on the other side of the door, the sound one made before death. She was terrified. Her nails dug into her legs as she breathed deeply, trying to keep her mind from praying that this was the end. She had no room for hope.

Several minutes had passed and the noise had suddenly gone, everything was quiet except for the sound of footsteps coming closer. They were in a hurry. She shut her eyes instantly as the light burst through as the door was broken open. Bringing her hands up to cover her face, she moved back, quickly moving away and pressing herself in the corner of the room. She didn't have to look to know that it was not who she hoped it would be. He would not have broken down the door. He was the only one with the key.

"Kahlan." She lowered her hands, surprised by the softness of his voice, taking a look at him.

"Don't touch me." she whispered as he walked towards her. "He's not going to let you hurt me." He dropped the sword at her words, confused as to why she would think he would hurt her. "He's going to protect me. He doesn't like anyone here with me when he's not here too."

Her words made him sick. What had they done to her? "I'm not going to hurt you, Kahlan."

"Why do you keep calling me that?"

His heart sunk, as he dropped to his knees before her. "Because that's your name. Spirits Kahlan, it's your name."

Tears filled her eyes, as she pulled her knees to her chest. "You know me? Who am I and why am I here? What do they want from me?" she cried, bringing tears to Richard's eyes.

"You're someone important, Kahlan. You stood between them and everything they wanted. Kahlan, I am so sorry that you've gone through this."

"Who are you?"

"Kahlan it's me, Richard." She shook her head, breaking his heart. "I'm going to get you out of here. They're not going to hurt you anymore."

"He's going to come for me. He doesn't like to share, when he's yet to-"

"He's not going to come for you." he said quickly, not wanting her to finish her sentence. "I've killed him."

She shook her head, her eyes growing wide. "No!" she said as she tried to stand up, only to fall into his arms as he caught her. "He protected me. He wouldn't let them- They didn't have me for very long. He stopped them. He can't be dead. Why did you kill him?"

"I killed him because of what he did to you." Richard whispered, "I couldn't let him touch you again."

"No." she said shaking her head, she stared at him, looking into his eyes. She was reading him. She never tried to read him. "How could you have known what he did to me? You didn't even- You weren't here."

"No, I wasn't. I didn't have to be. He told me." tears filled his eyes, "He made it very clear that he raped you."

"How do you know me?" she asked softly, needing to know why he cried at his words. "Why would this bother you? This has been my life for years."

He shook his head and inched closer to her, reaching for her hands, but she pulled them away. "It's only been three days."

"What?" she breathed out, confused. "No, it can't-"

If it was possible, his heart broke even more. "I'm going to make this alright. I promise. You just have to come with me."

"No." she said quickly, "I don't even know who you are. How do you expect me to trust you?"

"You don't trust me?"

"He said anyone who came through that door was going to kill me. I've never seen you before."

"Yes you have. Kahlan, you've seen me before. You just don't remember. I'm going to help you." He said, moving towards her, trying to lift her up from the ground.

"If I've seen you before, why don't I remember? Who are you?"

"I'm your husband." Her mouth fell open at his words, shocking her. "I'm going to make this alright."

She jerked backwards, hitting her head on the wall as he grabbed her. "If you're my husband why did you- Why would you let them-" she cried, tears falling down her cheeks. "No! You are not my husband! He wouldn't let some other men use me as their toy!" That's when she saw it. The truth in his eyes, the pain and horror of her words. "Why?" she whispered.

"Please, just come with me. I will explain everything when we leave this place." He turned around, looking at the door. "Cara!" he shouted, calling for his friend. He looked back to Kahlan's confused face. "She's a friend. She's going to help me get you somewhere safe."

Fear still in her eyes, she looked past him, watching the door. Waiting. She could feel his eyes on her, watching her carefully. "He's going to come for me." she whispered softly.

"He's dead."

"Not him." she looked back to him, meeting his eyes. "The one he works for. He wanted me for something. He's going to come for me."

"Did you see him?" Richard asked, hoping that she had. "The man he worked for. Did you see him?"

"Yes."

Fury returned to his eyes, scaring her. "Did he touch you?"

"No. He stood at the door. Watching..."

"Did he know what they did to you?" She didn't answer. "He knew." He turned to the sound of Cara walking up behind him. "Help me get her out of here." Standing up, Richard leaned over, helping her up and for the first time, seeing her wounds. "Spirits." he whispered as they reopened and began to bleed.

"It's fine." she said, pushing his hands away from her. She didn't want him to touch her.

"What's going on?" Cara asked, noticing the look her friend gave Richard.

"She doesn't remember anything." he explained quickly, hoping that she wouldn't press it any farther, but he knew better.

"Nothing? She doesn't remember anything?"

"No." he said softly, adverting his eyes from Kahlan's as he helped her walk to the door. He noticed the look on Cara's face and shook his head, begging her not to say anything.

Richard kept his eyes on her as they walked, slowly back to the Confessor's Palace. She looked around everywhere, her eyes never seeming to get enough of her surroundings and though she was having trouble walking, it didn't slow her down. She seemed determined to get where ever it was they were taking her. Kahlan had refused to allow him to touch her as they walked, being sure to keep a safe distance from him and Cara. Looking over her quickly, he winced at the blood now dripping freely down her legs and staining her dress as it covered her stomach. She hadn't said anything about being wounded anywhere else.

And why would she? He thought to himself. She didn't trust him. That thought pained him. He caught her glance for a moment and she stopped walking. "What's wrong?" he asked quickly, looking her over again to make sure she was alright and to his surprise, she gave him a slight smile.

"Where are we going?"

"Home." he said softly, looking a head of them and into the trees. "It's two days North. You can't miss it."

"You're home?"

He shook his head, looking from her to Cara and then back again. "Our home. You are The Mother Confessor. We live in The Confessor's Palace." She tilted her head confused, letting him know that he needed to explain more. "It's where you rule our people. The world."

"I- I? No." she said shaking her head, "You don't- No, I- You have me wrong."

"How would you know?" Cara said stepping close to her. "You've hit your head and forgot your own name. Yes, it's us who has it wrong."

Kahlan stared at the Mord'Sith, mouth slightly open as laid her hands on her hips, making Richard give a light laugh. "You look at her like that a lot. We should get moving. We need to get you healed."

"Can't you let me go?"

"Yes, because that's a good idea. If we let you go, you'd be dead within hours and I'd have to listen to him whine about how the love of his life died and how it's all my fault." Cara said as she came close to Kahlan, who stood her ground. "Start walking or I'll throw you over my shoulder and carry you." Turning to Richard, she smiled. "If you take off your pants, I'm sure you'll find her memories rushing back to her."

"Let's go." he said softly, walking off by himself. He didn't know how he knew it, but he was sure that Kahlan would follow him. And she did.

Without understanding, she trusted him. There was something in his eyes, the way he looked at her, the emotions that were filled up within them. The way he willing offered up everything, never failing to answer one of her questions. He must have truly cared for her.

"Can I ask you something?"

"Anything." Richard said without hesitation, keeping his eyes a head of them for the fear of her changing her mind if he looked t her.

She waited for a moment, watching him carefully as they walked. "Am I really who you say I am?"

"Yes. You'll remember, I promise."

"I'm not sure that I want to."

Richard stopped walking, but motioned to Cara to go a head of them, leaving them alone for a moment. "Why?"

She looked down, staring at his boots, warn and covered in dirt. "Because of everything that's happened. I want to forget it all."

"I know that you say that now, but you don't. And as much as I wish that I could give you your other memories and take these from you, I wouldn't. You wouldn't want me to. Kahlan, I know that you don't know me right now, but I need you to trust me. Or at least let me prove myself to you."

She nodded slowly, her heart pounding fiercely from the look in his eyes. She didn't know why, but she knew he was telling her the truth. "Alright."


	3. Chapter 3

She looked around bewildered at the Confessor's Palace, taking in the sights as Richard walked her through the halls, taking her to their bedroom, where he asked Zedd to meet them. Most of her strength had faded on their journey back, though she refused to admit it, but now she was mostly leaning on him, needing him to help keep her moving. He looked at her instantly as they entered their room, hoping that it would be some place she would remember, but she didn't show any sign of it.

Carefully, he and Zedd laid her down on the bed, Richard quickly pulling the covers up over her, trying to cover her as best he could, while leaving the wounds exposed for the wizard. Biting down on her lip, Kahlan closed her eyes for a moment, wincing through the pain of being positioned onto the bed.

"This is Zedd." Richard said softly, seeing the way she was looking at him. "He's my grandfather and a wizard of the first order. You can trust him."

"I don't trust any of you." she said softly, returning her attention to Zedd, who pulled the cloth from her leg, sighing at the sight.

"This is going to hurt, but you shouldn't move."

"Here." Richard offered, laying down beside her. She moved away from him, not wanting him to be so close to her, but he grabbed her, gently pulling her into his arms as his grandfather took hold of her leg.

Grabbing his arms, Kahlan let out a cry of pain digging her nails into his skin as she pressed her head to his chest. He tightened his arms around her, pulling her to him as he tried to give her comfort from his arms.

"You've lost a lot of blood, dear one. You're going to need time to rest and regain your strength." She was barely able to make out his words as she tried to remain awake. "Just a few more moments and you will feel a little better." He whispered as he laid his hand on her head, moving his fingers through her hair, trying to find where the blood was coming from.

The room went dark.

Opening her eyes slowly, she looked around, instantly seeing Richard sitting in a wooden chair beside her and the way he looked, told her that he had been there for a while. She didn't move. She laid there, staring at him, watching him as he stared, without blinking, at the ceiling.

"You don't remember anything do you?" he asked softly, surprising her. He closed his eyes when she didn't reply, knowing that she hadn't. "I'm sorry." he whispered.

"Why? You didn't do this to me."

"Because I failed you. I promised to keep you safe and then I promised to give you your memories back. I failed to do both." He looked at her, his face and eyes filled with sadness. "I'm sorry."

"You shouldn't be." she replied softly.

"Yes, I should be. I should have protected you. I should have-"

"No." she interrupted him, shaking her head. "I may not remember you, but I- I don't even know why, but I know you did everything that you could." she looked away from him, embarrassed. "I can see it in your eyes."

"Can you?" he asked moving to his knees before the bed, resting his arms on the side of the bed. "What do you see now?"

Meeting his eyes, she took in a deep breath and tried to read him. "You're going somewhere. You're pushed in anger and you won't let it end like this." she said softly as he nodded. "Why can I- How can I know that?"

Richard leaned closer, moving slowly to give her the option to move away. His intentions were more than clear. He pressed his lips lightly against hers, kissing her. She didn't pull back; instead, she returned his kiss, leaning in closer to deepen it. Slowly, she reached out, raking her fingers through his hair as she always did, making him forget that she wasn't the same woman she had been. She moved on instinct and followed what her body wanted, pulling him onto the bed beside her.

Almost instantly, he pulled back, breaking their kiss, before running his hand over his lips. "I'm sorry, I can't-"

"I know." she said softly, closing her eyes for a moment as she traced her tongue quickly across her lips to taste him once more. "I- I just wanted to know-" she smiled quickly as her cheeks reddened and she looked away as she realized that she was naked. "What happened to my clothes?" she asked softly.

"Your hand servant took your dress to be repaired. She would have redressed you, but she- I was afraid they would reopen some of your wounds. I'll send for her to take care of you."

She grabbed his hand, keeping him from walking away. "Please stay." She whispered, turning her head towards him. "I don't want to be alone and you- I feel safe with you near me."

"Alright." he said softly, reaching behind him, he grabbed the chair and pulled it closer to him.

"Lay here with me?" She asked, hoping that he wouldn't deny her this. "Just for a little while."

"Kahlan, I- Are you sure?"

"Yes." she said quickly, pulling back all but one of the blankets, she kept one around her, keeping her covered as he moved to lay beside her. "Can I ask you another question?" she asked as his head hit one of the pillows, her own body moving in closer to his.

He didn't answer for a moment, almost afraid of what it was that she wanted to ask. Looking over to her, he studied her face, wishing that she wasn't so good at hiding her feelings as she lifted herself up onto her elbow and looked down at him. "Alright."

"Before all of this- Before I was taken away, did we do this?"

"Do what?"

"Just lay here?"

A small smile crossed his lips as he nodded. "Yes. We did this a lot." She watched the expressions on his face change, never turning to something unpleasant as he allowed himself to remember.

"I'm sorry." she said softly when his eyes opened.

Richard turned his head towards her, confused. "Why?"

"Because I'm no longer her- I'm not the woman you love." His eyes closed to her words, feeling them push through him like knife. "I'm sorry."

"You don't need to apologize, Kahlan. You didn't do anything wrong."

"I feel like I did."

Without thinking, he pulled her down to him, wrapping her in his arms as he had done so many times before. "You didn't do anything wrong." he said into her hair, holding her head against his chest, his fingers wrapping themselves into her hair. "I'm going to make this right, I promise."

She didn't reply as he looked at her. Her eyes were closed and at last she slept peacefully. Feeling more than the safety his arms provided.

She was stirred from her dreams as she felt him move beneath her. Carefully lifting her from his chest and moving her to the bed beside him. He paused for a moment, waiting to see if he had woken her, but she didn't move. Slowly, Richard dropped a leg over the side of the bed, lifting the blankets from him as he followed it with the other. He froze as the bed shook with her movements. Turning his head, he caught sight of her in the corner of his eye, seeing her just as she turned over, now facing away from him. He felt his heart skip a beat at the sound of his name softly leaving her lips.

He waited another moment, trying to be sure that he wouldn't wake her when he left. Turning around, he looked down upon her, watching as she pulled at the thin blanket that kept her well hidden, trying to gather more of its warmth. Kahlan had once told him that they only needed the blankets when they weren't together, that the warmth of his body was all she would ever need. The way she clung to the blanket made him smile at the thought that it was still the case, though she was not the same woman.

Growing frustrated with the lack of warmth, she pulled roughly at the blanket, pulling all to her chest, exposing her back completely. His eyes flowed over the open skin, his mind resisting the urge to kiss the soft flesh that he loved to taste so much. Slowly, Richard reached over, taking the other blankets and pulling them up, trying to bring them to her shoulders. There it was again; his name leaving her lips, this time in a familiar tone. Instantly, he returned his legs to the bed, turning around completely to face her. She didn't move.

He pressed the tips of his fingers to her back, gently running them over her the way he had done several times before. It was how he had woken her nearly each morning after they had married. It started with a single touch, just bringing her lightly out of her sleep and then followed by a kiss that stirred up her senses, bringing her to the place where they only existed and they were all that they needed. Slowly, she rolled onto her back, abandoning the blanket that she had held so tightly. Opening her eyes, she looked at him, meeting his eyes.

"What's wrong?" she asked quietly.

Richard shook his head, his eyes searching her's, looking for anything that resembled the woman he knew and loved. "Nothing's wrong. I- you were talking in your sleep."

"I was?" she looked away, worried that she might have said something she wished she hadn't.

"You seemed content."

"Because you were here." she said softly. "I feel safe with you here. I can feel you beside me and I-" Moving to him, she kissed him, letting out a soft moan of pleasure as pressed herself to him. She grabbed his hand, keeping him from pulling it away as she moved over him. A knee on either side of his waist, she pushed him down to the bed, her tongue pushing past his lips to meet his.

"Kahlan," He whispered her name in a way that sent her heart into a pounding frenzy. The look in his eyes told her that he said her name in that manor often. "Stop."

"You said I was your wife." She said in a hardened tone. "Then this is something that we do."

"Yes, but Kahlan-"

"Is the child I carry not yours?" she asked softly, surprising him. He had no intention of telling her. Not until he had to.

"You remember?" he asked, his voice filled with hope that faded quickly as she shook her head. "How did you know?"

"I can feel it. She is yours?" Richard nodded, his eyes meeting hers briefly before fleeing again. "How can you be sure?" she asked, bringing a smile to his face. "What?"

"I have no doubt that it is mine." He half laughed at the thought of her with anyone else, but then his face lost all happiness at the images of how he found her came to mind. "There could be no other father to this child."

"You have a lot of faith in her."

"As she does in me." He replied quickly. "We love each other. We care more about the other than we do ourselves and there is nothing that could change that. I trust her more than anyone else. The child is mine."

She moved quickly, pressing her lips against his and pulling him forward onto her. He pulled back, surprised by her actions, but he didn't move out of her arms. Watching her carefully, he waited for her to open her eyes. A small smile crossed her lips as she looked at him. "Do that again." She said softly, pulling him back to her. The moment their lips reconnected, she saw it. Their first night together, she could feel the grass and leaves against her skin as though they were still there. She reached up, holding his head to hers as she kissed him desperately, trying to see more.

Moving over him, she kept little distance between them, using the feel of him to remember. She pulled away every few seconds, needing a moment to soak in what was running through her head. Suddenly pulling at his clothes and running her hands over his chest.

"Kahlan," he breathed out when he managed to take a breath, "stop-"

"I need to remember." She whispered, pressing her forehead against his, breathing deeply. "This is the only way I can remember." Her lips were upon his once again, her mouth hungrily attacking his.

Holding her to him, he sat up, pulling his lips from hers as he held onto her shoulders. "It's not the only way. Come here." He pulled her against him, hugging her tightly in his arms. He could feel the pounding of her heart; feel the warmth of her breaths as she tried to calm herself. Richard closed his eyes at the feeling of her tears running down his neck, unable to stand the pain she was feeling. Gripping his shoulders tightly, Kahlan pushed within her mind, retrieving every memory she had received in the past few minutes and searching them, trying to find out more. His voice pulled her further into her thoughts, bringing the memories to life.

Soft words, moans, gasps and cries escaped her lips as she tightened her hold on him, her body blending with his. His hands moved over her back, slowly drawing circles with his fingertips as he rocked them, holding her the way he had done only nights ago. His heart sped up as she moved her hands from his shoulders to his chest, gripping his shirt in her fists as she began to cry.

Without a moment wasted, she pulled back and grabbed his head, her fingers inching into his hair. "How did you know that would work?" she smiled, pressing her forehead to his so that they shared their breaths. "How did you know you would make me remember?"

"I didn't, but I saw the memories flash in your eyes when you kissed me and I had to do something." Richard pulled back, looking into her eyes, smiling widely as he cupped her cheeks in his hands. "Spirits, I was so afraid that you wouldn't remember."

"Me too." she admitted softly. "It was all I could think about. You were sitting there beside me and all I kept thinking was how could I not remember you?"

Just as the words left her lips he pressed his against hers, kissing her as he had done a few nights before, as though it had been months without her. Her kiss, now how it used to be, thrilled him, making him pull her even closer to him. A light giggle escaped her as he pushed her back to the bed and laid over her. Frantically, she pushed at the blankets, not wanting them to get between them. Pulling his shirt over his head, he leaned over her, kissing her neck and chest as his hands roamed over her.

She refused to let go of him, for the small fear that with him, all of her memories would fade away. With her head resting peacefully against his chest and a smile on her lips, she breathed deeply as her strength slowly returned to her. "Spirits, that- that was amazing."

"Always." he replied, grinning widely himself. "Kahlan," he said as the smile faded from his lips, knowing that he had to ask her now. "Before- When- There was something you didn't tell me, something that scared you. What was it?"

Instantly, she sat up and covered herself with one of the blankets, keeping her eyes on his chest. "It's nothing." she lied, knowing that she met his eyes he would know.

"It's not nothing," he sat up, taking her arms in his hands and turning her body towards him. "What is it?"

She turned around to face him, tears spilling from her eyes. "It's not important."

Now he was concerned, "Kahlan, please, if it scared you-"

"Everything scared me." she said softly, "Richard you scared me. I didn't remember anything and what I went through- Everything scared me." She moved back as he tried to wrap his arms around her, trying to comfort her. "He didn't just stand in the door."

He grew angry instantly at the thought. It was Darken Rahl that she had said stood at the door before and now that she told him the truth, the thoughts of what he could have done to her made his blood run cold. "Did he-"

"I don't know." Slowly, she reached up, covering her mouth with her hand as she shook her head, her voice shaking. "One minute he was standing before me and then- I don't know what happened. I woke up and he was walking away. He was laughing." dropping her hand to her lap, she turned around to him. "He wanted me to tell you something, but I didn't know who you were."

He pushed back the thoughts that flooded his mind, forcing himself to speak. "What did he want you to tell me?"

"It doesn't matter what he said." she whispered, fighting back the tears. "He only said it to hurt you and if I don't tell you, it can't."

"How did you know he said it to hurt me? You didn't know who I was."

Looking away, "I knew because of the look in your eye when you asked me if he- It had to be you. I almost told you too. When we were on our way back and I wanted you to let me go. I almost told you but-"

"You didn't. Why?"

Meeting his eyes, she blinked back the tears. "Because for some reason I trusted you. I didn't know who you were, but I trusted you. I felt safe. I didn't want you to change your mind about bringing me back."

"Kahlan,"

"If I tell you, it will start a war."

"He's already started the war. He started it when he took you from me, when he had those men- those men do that to you." Richard took in a deep breath, trying to keep himself from shouting. "He started this war, but I will end it."

"We shouldn't-"

"What did he tell you?"

Slowly, she turned away from him, facing her entire body towards the wall on the other side of the room. "When he comes for you and he will come, he will not care about the others. Me, he cares about and I have tainted what is his. He will never know the full extent of damage I've caused. You tell him that and each time he looks at you or touches you, he will see my face. And when he comes for me, we will rip the heart from his chest." She didn't move, though she could feel his eyes upon her, waiting for her to turn around to look at him.

He wanted to grab her shoulders and turn her around, ask her why she had said that hadn't touched her, but he already knew the answer. She was afraid that what Darken Rahl had said would be true. Maybe it was. No. He shook his head, nothing could ever change the way he looked at her. "Kahlan, look at me." Moving slowly, he pressed his chest against her back, wrapping his arms around her while pressing a light kiss to the back of her shoulder. She turned her head, only enough to catch glimpse of him behind her. "It wasn't just me he wanted to hurt."

He continued pressing short, light kisses along her back and shoulder, tightening his arms around her in an attempt to comfort her. After a few moments, she reached up, holding his arms around her. "I wish I knew what happened." she whispered as she lowered her head, her hair falling around her face. "I want to know what he did to me."

"I don't want you to know." he said softly, his breath warming her skin. "Kahlan, I don't want you to have to live with that."

"You want me to live with the thoughts? Not knowing just makes me think of all the things he may have done." She tightened her hold on his arms as he let out a sigh. "Each time I think something could be the worst, it's not."

Pressing his forehead to her shoulder, he closed his eyes. "I'm so sorry, Kahlan."

"Promise me something?" she asked softly.

"If I can."

"Before you kill him, make him tell you." He said nothing as he nodded, his tears sliding down her back, making her tighten her hold on him.


	4. Chapter 4

"You expect him to be sitting somewhere waiting for you?" Cara asked as she walked after Richard, keeping a small distance between them. She had yet to forgive herself for allowing Kahlan to be harmed, so she kept herself apart from them both.

"Yes. I'm counting on it." He said as he turned around to face her. "He knew that taking her would bring me to him. And he had to take it even further by-" he stopped, unable to speak the words that he intended to. "If I have to walk every inch of the world, I am going to find him and remove his head." he sneered.

"Do you really expect her to just let you leave?"

"Yes."

"Are you sure?" Cara asked softly, "After what he did to her, you would think she would want to kill him herself."

"I don't want her near him."

"It's not your decision." she snapped, knowing that The Mother Confessor would want vengeance. "Talk to her before she ends up chasing after us."

He watched her walk away, wondering if she was right. Just earlier that day they had spoken about it and she had said nothing about wanting to go as well. She had told him to get answers before he killed Darken Rahl. She would have said something if she wanted to go. Wouldn't she? Turning on his heels, he raced down the hall to the bedroom, where she would be.

Opening the door slowly, he looked inside, finding her sitting in a chair beside the window. Her back pressed against it, with her knees pressed to her chest as she looked outside. She clutched a blanket around her, hiding her still naked body. She didn't seem to notice him enter, even as he walked closer to her. "Kahlan?" She jumped up at the sound of his voice, stepping back a step and pressed herself to the window. "I'm sorry." he said as he rushed to her side, pulling her into his arms. "I didn't mean to scare you." he whispered into her hair.

Pushing him back, she shook her head. "No, I'm just a little jumpy. I feels like a dream and when I wake up, I'm going to be back in that room." Looking back to the window, Kahlan crossed her arms, surrounding herself in her own form of comfort. "I don't want to wake up."

"You're not going to wake up in that room. You're going to wake up in my arms. Safe." Stepping closer to her, he pressed his chest to her back, enveloping her in his arms. "Do you want to come with me?"

She was surprised by his question. Never hoping that that he would ask. "Sometimes." she replied honestly. "But I won't. I can't."

"Why not?"

"Because of our child." Kahlan turned her head, trying to look at him. "I'm so afraid that something's going to happen and we'll lose her. I'm afraid that we already have."

"What?" he turned her around quickly, grabbing her shoulders as his face and voice filled with panic. "What do you mean? Can't you feel her?"

Her eyes filled up with tears as she stared at him. "I'm not sure anymore." she cried, suddenly falling into his arms. "I'm so afraid that he-"

"No," he said softly, lowering them both to the floor, clutching her tightly. "don't think about that. He didn't- he couldn't have harmed her, Kahlan. We were the only ones that knew. He didn't know." She wrapped her arms around him, pulling herself closer. "He didn't know." He hoped that he was right, that there could have been no way for Darken Rahl to know that they were starting their family. Still, he couldn't make himself believe that. Not entirely.

Neither moved for what seemed like hours of Kahlan crying softly in his arms, while he tried to keep himself from thinking about it. Slowly, her tears stopped, making it easier for her to breathe. Lifting her head up away from him, she took in a deep breath. "You should go."

"I'm not going to leave you like this." he said quickly, "After what you've been through, I'm not leaving you right now."

"You have to. The longer you wait, the stronger they get." Making sure the blanket was covering her, she stood up, leaving him on the floor as she walked over to the bed and sat down. "I'm fine." she forced a smile as he looked over to her.

"I'm not." He said quickly, turning his body around, but not getting up. "Kahlan, I don't think I should leave you after what you've been through."

"You didn't mind before." she said softly. "Richard, you began planning this out the moment you started bringing me home. You should do this."

"It can wait. We can go in a few months-"

"In a few months, I won't be in any condition to travel. You have to go now."

Standing, he began pacing, running his fingers through his hair as he thought. "I don't want you to be alone."

"Leave me with Cara."

"No." he said quickly. "She can't protect you."

"Yes she can. Richard other than you, she is the only one who can."

"Then why didn't she before?" he half shouted. "She could have kept you from having to go through any of that and she didn't. She failed you."

"No she didn't. She wanted to follow me, but I wouldn't let her. Richard, I sent her away. The fault is mine."

"No." he was on his knees before her, grabbing her hands, his eyes locked on hers as the blanket fell to the bed. "It is not your fault."

"And it's not Cara's. Leave her with me and I'm almost as safe as I am with you."

He stared up at her, thinking. "If anything happens to you, I would never be able to forgive myself."

"And you would never forgive yourself if you didn't go after them. You have to do this. I want you to." she said softly, pulling the blanket back up to cover herself. "You should go tonight."

"Alright, but I'm leaving Zedd too."

"You can't go without him. You're going to need your wizard."

"Not as much as I'll need my Confessor. Zedd will stay here and look after you." Leaning forward, Richard tightened his hold on her hands and laying his head down upon them, as they rested in her lap. "He's going to help keep you safe." Suddenly lifting his head, he looked up at her. "What's wrong?"

Shaking her head, she closed her eyes and took in a deep breath. "Nothing. It's nothing." Pulling her hands from his, she pushed herself off of the bed and took a few steps, stopping as she leaned over, clutching her stomach in pain. A loud cry flowed from her room, echoing through their room and down the hall, sending a few of the servants into panic as they rushed off to get help.

Running to her, Richard wrapped his arms around her, straightening her up so that he could move her to the bed. Her cry only grew louder, filling him with more concern as he noticed the blood staining the sheet. Pushing the hair out of her face, Richard cupped her cheek looking into her eyes as they began to glaze. "Spirits, Kahlan." he whispered as she lost control of her body and fell into him, the bloodied sheet, falling forgotten to the floor. Lifting her into his arms, he walked her back to the bed, grateful that she hadn't gotten far.

He turned his head quickly as Cara entered the room, meeting her eyes for only a moment before returning to Kahlan. His heart stopped as he noticed the blood on the sheets beneath her and instantly he knew what was happening. "Get Zedd in here now!" he shouted to Cara as he pulled one of the blankets and laid it over her chest, covering her in what little way he could, knowing that soon the room would be filled with people trying to save her life. Trying to save both of their lives.

Screaming out in pain, Kahlan tilted her head back, pushing it into the pillow as she grabbed the sheets and pulled. Moving around frantically, Richard rested a hand on her forehead and leaned down, his mouth beside her ear. "It's okay, Kahlan. Everything will be okay."

"No." she gasped out through gritted teeth. "It's over." Tears fell from her eyes at the thought of loosing their child. She turned her head to look at him, "I'm sorry." she whispered as she closed her eyes. After a moment, her hold on the sheet loosened and she stopped moving, just as Cara returned with Zedd.

The door to their room remained closed for the next two days, only one person daring to enter and only to bring them food. They laid in bed, clinging to each other in the sorrow of their loss. Kahlan's tears drenched his shirt as she continued to cry, her hold on him tight in fear of losing him as well. With tears of his own, Richard laid, holding his wife tightly in his arms, trying to keep himself sane. With each passing moment, he felt her hold him from entering the blind rage that called to him.

To add to his rage, he was filled with a terror each time he looked into her eyes. The woman he loved was disappearing before him. In the morning, he would sit her up, keeping her close to him as he tried to get her to eat, needing her for his own survival. "Please," he whispered to her, holding a small piece of bread in his fingers before her mouth. "you have to eat."

She said nothing, only stared at the wall before them, tear stains down her cheeks as she found that she was unable to cry anymore. Laying his head onto her shoulder, he let out a sigh that was followed by tears, dripping down her body. "Kahlan, please. I can't lose you too. I know how hard this is for you, but I will not survive without you. I know that you need someone to comfort you, but spirits Kahlan, I need you to survive this. If you quit on me now, I won't make it through."

Her head turned towards him, her eyes meeting his through the fuzz. "This is not your fault." he whispered softly, tightening his hold on her. "We will get through this. Together." When she opened her mouth to speak, a soft cry was released instead of words. She watched as a few tears ran down his cheeks, making her heart race. "It's not your fault." he repeated, louder this time, hoping that she would listen to him. "We are going to be alright."

A few tears escaped her eyes as she stared blankly at him. "We lost her." They were the first words she had spoken in two days and they flowed from her lips with such pain. She said them as though it were a secret she wished not to tell him. Slightly turning her body, Kahlan wrapped her arms around her, laying her head against his shoulder, keeping herself lost for another moment.

"I'm going to make him pay for this." he said as she pulled herself from him. She didn't respond as she turned away from him, crossing her legs before her.

Without words, she began eating, her eyes locked on the plates as she pushed the food into her mouth, chewing in silence and anger. She could feel his eyes on her, watching her carefully to be sure that she ate every piece on her plate. Once she had finished, she laid down, facing away from him in the hopes that he wouldn't press any further.

Keeping her eyes closed, she listened as he walked around the room, stuffing things into his pack as he prepared to leave. She waited for him to leave the room, but he didn't. After filling his pack, he came to the side of the bed, kneeling down in front of her. "Kahlan," he whispered, brushing a few strands of her hair behind her ear as she opened her eyes. He knew instantly that she had not been asleep, but said nothing of it. "I'm going to be back as soon as I can. Cara and Zedd will be here, so if you need anything- They're going to keep you safe."

"Don't go." she whispered, surprising him by speaking. "I don't want to lose you too."

Releasing a small sigh of sadness, he leaned forward towards her. "I can't let him let away with this. Not after what he's done to you- to us. I'm going to find and kill him." Blinking away tears she nodded her head, forcing a small smile. "I'll come back, Kahlan. I promise."

"You can't promise that." she whispered, closing her eyes once more, finding it difficult to look at him, knowing that he too may become lost to her, especially when he learned the rest of what happened to her.

"I will not die unless I am old and laying in your arms. I'll return to you." Pressing his lips to her forehead, he let his lips linger after the kiss, wanting to leave them both with something to hold on to. "I love you."

She waited until she heard him close the door, leaving her alone in the room. The moment she was unable to hear his footsteps in the hall, she slowly crawled from the bed, wrapping herself up in a blanket as she walked to the window and waited. After several minutes she saw him, followed closely by the Wizard and Mord'Sith as he talked back to them. His face stern and cold, allowing no one to question what it was he said to them. Keeping her eyes on him, Kahlan watched as he met no more than two dozen of their soldiers at the tree line, waiting to die on his command.

Burning the sight before her into her mind, she watched him and when she could no longer see him, she turned and walked quickly back to the bed.

Richard walked quickly through the trees, his mind set in thoughts of removing the head of his brother. The man who had taken so much from him. Someone who had put the only woman he has ever loved through so much pain. His thoughts were so deep, he did not hear the men complaining behind him, begging him to allow them a moments rest. A hand on his shoulder and instantly he drew his sword, sending back one of his commanders.

"What?"

"Sir, we know how important this is, but we will be of no use to you if we are too tired to fight. The men need to rest."

Looking past the man, Richard sighed at the sight. "Alright. I'll go a head and make sure the road is clear."

"Sir, you should not go alone. You may be trapped."

"I can't sit here and do nothing." he said as he met the man's green eyes. "Darken Rahl will pay for what he has done to her. Give the men a few moments and then follow me." The man nodded, knowing that it would be pointless to argue with a man in such hate and anger.

He pushed himself harder, trying to cover more ground since he was able to move faster on his own. He had no doubt as to where he would find his brother and if he hurried, he would be there in less than a week. Then, he thought to himself, he would be able to return to her. He knew what she was doing that that moment and it pained him to know that he was unable to comfort her. He wanted to think that he understood what she felt, but he knew that it was impossible. It was not he who carried the child, felt her growing within him, so how could he know? She needed him and it pained him that he was unable to comfort her.

All he could do now was bring her some closure and he was going to do it by bringing her the head of Darken Rahl. Only then would he hold her in his arms. Only then would he feel that he had done something that would comfort her. Then would he be able to look her in the eye again.

"You have to eat something. If you die, Richard is going to kill himself." Cara said as she pushed Kahlan onto her back. "Get up. You can't just lay here until he comes back." She stared at the Mord'Sith, blinking slowly. "You haven't left this room in five days! You have to get up! You have to bathe!" She grabbed her friends shoulders, sitting her up on the bed. "Get up!"

The moment she released her, Kahlan fell backwards onto the bed and rolled onto her side, pulling the blankets back over her. "If you don't get up, I'm going to knock you from the bed." The Confessor turned her head towards her, silently telling her to try. Grabbing the blankets Cara pulled them from the bed, exposing her friends naked body. She didn't move even as the cool air contacted her skin, making her muscles tighten. "Kahlan, you have to at least get dressed."

Sitting up, Kahlan pulled the clothing from her friends arms and dressed, never once saying a word. After she was dressed, she sat there for a moment, staring at the wall a head of the bed, her mind blank of all thoughts except for the loss of her child. Their child. Never before had she felt such shame. She had failed her husband and unborn child, now she didn't want to live any longer.

The feel of Richard's arms around her remained trapped in her mind, reminding her of his kindness. He hadn't blamed her when he should have. It was her fault that he was in such pain. Each moment that passed, she felt herself falling into a darkness that surrounded her. A darkness that she wished to swallow her and erase this pain. Letting her eyes slide closed, Kahlan held her breath, hoping to let it end.

A sharp gasp escaped her as Cara pushed down against her chest, forcing her to breathe. "You can't just give up!" she shouted to her friend, shaking her. "Do you know what your death will do to him?"

With tears in her eyes, Kahlan looked at her friend, who now sat on the bed beside her. "It's my fault." she whispered so soft, Cara could barely hear her. "I did this to him."

"Of course you did." Cara mocked, "You went looking for those men, asked them to capture and rape you and then, just to make it better, you begged them to murder your unborn child."

Blinking free her tears, Kahlan let out a soft whine and rolled over, facing away from her friend. "Leave me."

"No." she replied quickly, laying down beside her. "The moment I leave, you'll find some way to kill yourself."

Kahlan said nothing, hoping that it wouldn't be long until the Mord'Sith gave in and left.


	5. Chapter 5

As Richard suspected, Darken Rahl's men were everywhere, surrounding the place he once resided. The People's Palace. Keeping low, he hid himself within the bushes and grass, trying to get closer. He wished now that he had taken more men with him. This was going to be a fight he was not going to survive. He would die and Kahlan would be alone. He couldn't do that to her.

"We only have one chance and we can't lose." Richard said as the commander knelt down beside him. "Kill them all."

"For The Mother Confessor."

"For Kahlan." he replied softly, closing his eyes for a moment, allowing himself to see her smiling face before running towards the end.

Darken Rahl's men turned expectedly as Richard and his small army raced from the trees. With swords drawn, they met each other with sounds of battle. The sound of swords connecting echoed in their ears. Driving them all onward in battle. Blood and sweat dripped down his face as he cut down on man after another, each bringing him closer to the one he truly wished to kill. With every man that fell before him, he saw her face, filling him with courage.

Richard took a quick look behind him to the other men, still in the mist of battle, trying to survive. He entered the door unseen by them all, only to be met on the inside by dozens of men. The sword glowed in his rage, magnifying his strength as he pushed through them, taking them on all at once. He cried out as blood spilled from his arm, spattering on the face of the man who cut through it. The pain only pushed him on, filling his mind with more than vengeance.

He fell to the ground as his legs were taken out from under him. Before he had a moment to think, a blade was pressed to his throat, preventing him from regaining his ground. Tightening his hold on his sword, Richard swung it upward, taking the hand of the last man that stood over him. With a loud cry, he jumped upward, slamming the screaming man against a wall. "Where is he?" he shouted. Not hearing him, the soldier stared at his arm, screaming out as Richard tightened his hold on him. "Where is your master?"

With his other hand, the man pointed down the hall, hoping that it would make Richard release him. Letting him go, The Seeker raised his sword, looking the man in his eyes as he ran him through. He continued staring at him for a moment as he slid down he wall to the floor, making sure that he was dead, before running down the hall. The sound of his panting echoed in his ears as he came closer and closer to the door at the end of the hall. This was going to end now.

Bursting through the door, he was met by a surge of energy slamming into his side, knocking him off of his feet and back through the door. With a small moan of pain, he sat up, tightening his hold on his sword, letting the magic fuel his rage. Staggering to his feet, Richard pushed himself back through the door, the pain fading quickly as he caught sight of the one who wounded him. Standing in the corner of the room, Darken Rahl smiled as his brother stumbled in.

"You should have run when you had the chance. When you could have saved her." His smile widened as Richard grew angrier. "You must have thought about it. Taking her away, raising your child away from here, but you didn't and here we are. Do you really think you can beat me? You have no idea what I am capable of."

"You murdered our child." he growled as he took a quick look around the room, noticing Nicci, laying unconscious, on the floor in the corner. Darken Rahl must have taken her Han for himself.

"That is not all that I have done." he smiled. "Even when she didn't know who I was, she screamed the way I imagine she would." Richard tightened his grasp, his knuckles white around the sword's handle. "She is more beautiful than I realized."

"What did you do to her?"

"You already know and I suspect that she didn't tell you. Not everything, she wouldn't have been able to. She knows that it would hurt you too much." With each word, Richard came closer, using every ounce of energy that he had to remain standing and not to run at him. He needed time to think, to come up with a plan. He had only one chance to to strike and he could not lose. "She would rather live with what I did to her, than hurt you. Though at this moment, I am sure she would like anything but to live." He kept his eyes on his brother, watching him closely.

"You're wrong. You don't know Kahlan."

"Do you really think that she's going to want to live after what I've done to her? After what she's done to you?"

"She has done nothing to me."

Darken Rahl smiled widely, "She has lost your child. Who do you think she blames for that. Before you left, could she look at you?"

"You don't know what you're talking about."

"Don't I? We've shared the same woman-"

"No we haven't. You have never been with Kahlan. She would never allow it."

"Maybe, but I have touched the body you held so close to you. The things I did to her," his smile widened more than Richard thought possible, making his anger grow. "would kill you where you stand. Perhaps I should tell you."

"You're a monster." he sneered as he tried to shut out the thoughts that filled his mind.

"Yes, but you already knew that. You're wife is very beautiful, we all enjoyed our time with her. The elixir the wizard once made was well worth the price I paid. The men were more than pleased with her."

With a cry of anger, Richard ran forward, raising his sword and using it as a shield as his brother threw what appeared to be lightning at him. The force of the light pushed him back a few steps, but it didn't slow him down. With more strength and power than he thought he was able, Richard pushed forward trying to get closer. He was unable to get closer than a few feet from him, the magic proving to be more of a challenge. Ducking behind a wall, Richard reached behind him, pulling one of Kahlan's daggers from the small of his back. He had hoped that he wouldn't need it, that he would only use it to keep a part of her with him, but now it seemed clear. He would kill him with her weapon, revenge from the blade of the one harmed.

Suddenly, without warning, he came around he wall and caught sight of his brother, making sure his one shot was not waisted. It took all of his strength to keep the sword up, blocking the magic as he prepared to throw the dagger. The blade pierced through his palm, pushing it back against his chest, knocking him back against the wall with a shout. Running quickly, Richard stood over him, his sword glowing in his hands as he stepped closer to his laughing brother.

He lift him up, Richard pressed him roughly against the wall, thriving on the way his head slammed against the wall. "You're never going to hurt her again."

Just as he raised up his sword, a small cry drew his attention, causing him to turn his head. Seizing the moment, Darken Rahl pulled the dagger from his hand and shoved it into his brothers shoulder, tackling him to the ground as he repeated the action over and over again, being sure to cause pain. Richard struggled against him, trying to pull the blade from his flesh. Blood pooled to the ground as the dagger was twisted deeper into him, making him cry out softly. Kicking his legs out from under him, Richard shoved him off, knocking his bother to the wall.

He saw Nicci limp towards them, fury in her eyes. Jumping up, he instantly raised his sword to her, using it as a warning for her not to come closer and she didn't. Freezing instantly, she watched as he returned his attention to the man who now stood behind him. The moment he turned around, he was forced backwards, passing Nicci and slamming into the wall. The room went dark for a moment, as he fell to the floor.

Opening his eyes, Richard reached for his sword, only to find it nowhere within reach. Taking a quick look around, he looked for his enemy. "She cried. When I touched her." Richard turned his head to the sound of his voice. "Those blue eyes filled with tears the moment I got close to her. She knew what I wanted. What evey man in there already had. She struggled for a little while too, that is until she was unable to find the strength- Once I pushed my knife into her stomach. She became quite, loose."

His words angered him as they gave his mind something so terrible to imagine as he tried to stand up. "She is quite beautiful when she's laying beneath someone." Pushing himself against the wall, he stood up, tightening his fists in anger. "I'm sure you've noticed. A woman who looks like that must spend a lot of time-"

"Shut up!" he shouted, as he rushed forward, not caring that he had no weapon. He caught him off guard, tackling him to the ground as though he hadn't been hurt. Moving quickly, he pushed his fists into his Darken Rahl's face, his force increasing with each moment. The feel of his blood splattering upon his face fueled him, making him crave more. He needed it.

Pulling himself back, just a little, he looked down at his brother, who coughed through the blood that filled his mouth. Richard looked around for a moment, trying to find a weapon that would destroy the man beneath him. Laying beneath a table beside him, he saw it. Kahlan's dagger and everything fell into place. Holding him down by the throat, he reached for it, pulling it back quickly and replacing his hand with it.

He pushed the blade against him, watching intently as the blood leaked free from the wound as it the blade slowly ran across his neck. With a sigh of relief Richard fell backwards as the life faded from his brothers eyes. Leaning his head back against the wall, he took in a deep breath, his eyes locked on the man before him, being sure he was dead. His mind replayed the last few minutes, reliving each moment of bringing his wife a small amount of justice. With her face in mind, he stood up, pushed past all of the pain and limped over to Nicci.

Staring down at her, he wondered if he should kill her and ensure the safety of the world, or just the one person he cared about. Kneeling down beside her, he pushed back her blonde hair and sighed as he went to pick her up. Richard hadn't taken more than two steps when he fell to the ground, dropping Nicci just as several of his soldiers came rushing into the room. Rushing towards him, they helped him stand, letting him rest his weight against them as they left.

"We have to take her with us." he said softly, trying to turn back for the woman he had once called his enemy.

"Sir, she is one of them."

Richard shook his head, "No. She has no more magic."

"She hasn't moved in days." Cara said, crossing her arms as they stood in the doorway of the Confessor's room. "She won't even talk."

With a sigh, Zedd stepped back, away from the door as he looked at her. "She's said nothing?"

"Not since he left."

"What did she say?"

"She said this was her fault."

He closed his eyes, wishing that she didn't have to go through the pain. "Try to get her to eat."

"I have." Zedd could hear the worry in her voice, though she tried to hide it. "She won't even pretend anymore. She just lays there and cries."

"Try."

She gave him a small nod as she walked past him, entering the room in silence. Kahlan laid, facing with her back towards the door, not wanting to see anyone who entered. Cara could hear her crying, though it was softer than before. "He's never going to forgive me."

Her words stunned her friend. They were the first she had said in over a week. "Of course he will."

"Not when he tells him what I've done."

"What's that?" Kahlan bit her lip, drawing blood as she wondered how she was going to tell her. "It doesn't matter what you did. Richard will understand."

"How could he? I've betrayed him."

Sitting down upon the bed, Cara looked down at her. "You didn't betray him. You couldn't." She caught her eye for a moment, seeing the pain and horror, peeking her interest more than she liked. "You could nev-"

"I let them- I didn't stop them."

She sighed, knowing what the Confessor meant. "You didn't have a choice. We saw you in there. You weren't willing- You weren't begging them for it. It wasn't even you."

"I'm the one who lost our child. I lost our child because I let him touch me."

"Who?" She didn't have to ask, but she wanted to be sure. The last she had heard from her was that Darken Rahl had only stood in the doorway and watched. Richard had mentioned afterwards that he didn't believe she was telling the truth, but he couldn't be sure. The woman who had been speaking wasn't the one he knew.

"I was so tired." she whispered, closing her eyes so that she couldn't see the look on her friends face. "I couldn't do it any longer. I was so tired."

"You just wanted it to end. He understands that."

"He doesn't know what he did to me." she cried. "He'll never forgive me."

Cara sat there, staring at her friend as she continued to cry, wishing that she had the words to help her. "He'll forgive you. It your forgiveness that he wants. He thinks that he betrayed you."

"He didn't." she whispered through her tears.

"Neither did you."

Richard rushed through the halls as fast as he could, ignoring everyone that tried to speak with him, to ask him how it had gone and why he had brought Nicci back. He had to get to her. He needed to see her face, to hold her in his arms. Just as he rounded the last corner he ran into Zedd, knocking him off of his feet.

"Spirits Richard." he said as he saw the wounds on his grandson. "Here, let me-"

"How is she?" He stood up, growling through the pain. "How is she?" He repeated as Zedd looked away from him. "I have to see her." Pushing past him, he rushed to the door, only to be stopped by Cara.

"She hasn't moved since you left." she whispered, so that Kahlan couldn't hear her. "She's afraid you won't forgive her."

He stared at her, taking in her words, wishing they were different. "Let me see her." She stepped aside without hesitation, seeing the pain in his eyes. "Kahlan," he whispered as he stepped closer and heard her cry. Slowly, he walked around the bed to face her, to make her look at him and see what he had done. Bending down, he reached for her hand, touching it lightly until she at last opened her eyes.

Her eyes ran over him starting with his face that was covered in blood that wasn't his, followed by his shoulders and chest. Her heart ached at the sight of the burns and holes, the tears in his shirt that revealed the small cuts and bruises that she knew covered him. Unknowingly, she reached out to him, touching his chest. "I'm sorry."

"No. I am sorry. Kahlan, this blood- I killed him for you. For what he did to you. You have done nothing wrong."

"I lied to you." she whispered. "I lied about Darken Rahl."

"I know."

She closed her eyes at his words. He had told him. "I-"

"You don't need to apologize, Kahlan. He told me what he did to you. He told me everything and it's him that I blame. You don't have to apologize because you have done nothing wrong." leaning forward, he pressed his forehead against hers, sharing her breaths. "Nothing." Reaching to her head, he entangled his fingers into her hair. "Come on, you have to eat something."

"I'm not hungry."

"Alright. I'll ready a bath. I want to hold you, but not until his blood is off of me."

"Don't leave." she whispered, grabbing his arm as he started to move away. Pulling him onto the bed, she pressed herself against him, being mindful of his injuries, though she hated that they kept her from being as close as she liked. Still, his arms around made her fall, almost instantly, to sleep.

He closed his eyes for a moment, at last allowing himself a moment of peace before he moved again. Slowly, he pulled his body from hers, gritting his teeth through the pain as he looked at her as he replaced his body with a pillow, hoping that it would continue to provide comfort to her as he moved around the room.

Opening the door quietly, he looked out, meeting his grandfather's eyes as he motioned for him to come closer. "How long will it take to heal me?"

"I'm not sure. It could-"

"Try to finish before she wakes up." he whispered as he pulled him through the hall and into another room.


	6. Chapter 6

He was there the moment she opened her eyes, making her feel relieved. Part of her was afraid that he would be gone when she awoken, but there he was, standing, shirtless, by the window, rubbing his shoulder as he looked out into the sun. She watched him for a moment waiting to see if she could figure him out. She didn't understand how he appeared as calm as he did. He stood at the window, looking out with a small smile, the way he had done more times than she was sure she could remember.

"Are you alright?" He whispered as he turned his head towards her. She nodded almost afraid to speak. "Do you want to get up?" He hoped that if they started slowly, it would be easier for her, but she shook her head. "We don't have to leave the room." he added as he took a few steps towards her.

She stared at him for a few moments, hoping that she would find the strength to do as he asked. "Alright." Her eyes moved over him as he came closer. "Zedd healed you?"

"Yes." As he came to the side of the bed, she sat up, dropping her legs over the side. Richard stopped a foot from her, watching as she forced her feet to hit the floor. "It's going to be alright." Gently taking her hands, he pulled them from the sheets that she was gripping so tightly around her. "Want to sit by the window?"

"I don't know."

"I prepared a bath in case you wanted to relax." He told her as she stood before him, looking past him to the wall. "It could make you feel better."

"Alright." She didn't want to argue with him, she only wanted the day to end so that she could sleep once again.

Walking towards the adjoining room, Kahlan found herself clutching the sheet to her, not wanting to lose the comfort it provided. The candles around the room had already been lit and by the pool of wax around them, they had been lit for a while. The water in the tub was steaming, releasing the smell of lavender into the air. It was her favorite sent besides his. Standing behind her, he wrapped his arms around her as she stared down at the tub. The first place she and Richard had been together their first night in the room.

Using his hands to guide hers, he pulled the sheet from her, letting it pool to the floor. Gently, he pushed her hair over her shoulder, giving him full view of the minor cuts and dark bruises that covered her back. She could feel his eyes on her, studying what she couldn't see. Her eyes closed as his fingers connected with her back, tracing over the rare spots of pale skin.

Turning around in his arms, she reached up, touching his face. Her fingers touching the blood that wasn't his that dried after being splattered on his face. He hadn't bother to wash it off after Zedd had healed him and she knew he did it for her. He knew her better than anyone had ever, better than anyone could ever and he knew that she needed to see it. Needed the proof.

She kept her eyes on the blood, never meeting his as her fingers slowly traced along his face to his neck and chest. He must have rushed when he washed his blood from him, leaving behind the last layer that had dried against his skin, seeping into it and becoming part of it. Suddenly pulling her hand back, she looked away from him, ashamed. Richard took a step back and her head turned back towards him, not looking at him, but keeping him in her sight.

"I'm not going to leave you." he said softly, stepping closer to her once again.

After a moment, Kahlan stepped into the bath and for the first time he had seen, she didn't relish in the feeling of the warm water around her. He waited for her to lean back, to let the water take her over, but she didn't. She didn't move. She sat in the center of the tub, clutching her knees tightly against her chest as her hair, fell around her dipping into the water.

Richard couldn't take it any longer. Moving quickly, he removed his pants and stepped to the side of the tub, coming in to sit behind her as he had done so many times before. Leaning forward, his chest pressed against her back as he wrapped his arms around her, bringing her closer to him. Slowly he rubbed his hands gently up and down her arms, bringing up handfuls of water and letting it flow freely down them. With his head pressed to the side of hers, he whispered into her ear.

Once she began crying once more, he tightened his hold on her, wishing that he could say something that would make her feel better.

"How can you do this?"

"Do what?" he asked softly, keeping her close to him.

"Touch me after what I've done?" her words were soft and barely understandable through her cries.

"You've done nothing to make me not want to do this. Kahlan, this is all I ever want to do. Hold you-"

"It's my fault we lost her."

"No it's not." he said instantly. "It's not your fault."

"The spirits are punishing you for what I'd done." He shook his head against her, telling her she was wrong, but she didn't hear his words. Her mind was consumed with thoughts of her betrayal. "I'm so sorry." she cried, covering her face with her hands.

"You have nothing to be sorry for."

"I didn't stop him! I didn't stop him and now we've lost her!"

"But you tried." he whispered softly, pulling her hands from her face and entangling his fingers with hers. "You tried to. He told me what happened Kahlan. You tried to stop him until you couldn't anymore."

"I couldn't stop him." she whispered.

"He stabbed you. Kahlan, he had to stab you to get you to stop fighting. I know you, if you hadn't lost so much blood, you would never have stopped."

"No." she said softly, "I stopped fighting because I just wanted it to be over." His hold on her loosened as she finished her sentence, realizing why she was so upset. "I just wanted it to be over."

"Kahlan," he whispered her name softly, barely able for her to hear it, though it was said into her ear. "It's not your fault. What you went through- Kahlan, what you went through, I can't even imagine the horror and you didn't know who you were, you didn't know who I was. You did nothing wrong."

She turned sideways, making it easier to look at him. "How can you say that? I allowed him to- The things I let him do to me- The loss of our child. How can you say that I've done nothing wrong?"

"If Darken Rahl were to come in here right now, would you let him do anything to you?" she shook her head. "See? Kahlan you would never let him do anything to you. You went through something that you never should have had to go through. You're blaming yourself when I am blaming me."

"Why?"

Tears filled his eyes at her question, his heart pounding as he began to answer. "Because if I had been with you- If I had insisted on going with you or if I had come looking for you sooner, maybe I could have prevented this. Maybe I could have spared you from it all and I'm so sorry that I didn't. What those men did to you Kahlan, I killed them all. They can't take anything else from us, but I feel like they're still taking you away from me and I can't lose you too."

"You won't-"

"Kahlan, you laid in there for days. You didn't eat and Spirits, you scared me when I returned. I know that they have taken something so close to us, but if I lose you too, I won't survive. Without you, I don't want to live. I need you. We lost our child, but that doesn't mean that we can't have one- That we can't make another, or spend the rest of our lives trying to."

She stared into his eyes, for the first time since the death of their child, seeing everything that he felt and feeling it too. The tears that fled her eyes, were different than the ones she released only minutes before, comforting him that she understood his words. Slowly, he leaned forward, gently taking her head in his hands as his lips pressed against hers. The angle made the kiss awkward, but he didn't want it to end. Moving carefully, he inched her forwards, moving with her, so that they sat in the center of the large tub.

Turning her body gently, he moved her over him, sitting her on his lap as he wrapped her legs around him, needing to be closer. Entangling her fingers into his hair, she held him close to her, kissing him slow and passionately. After a few minutes, she pulled back, looking at his blood stained face. Grabbing a small rag from the table beside the tub, Kahlan dipped it into the water quickly before bringing it to his face and gently wiping away the dried blood of their enemy. She no longer needed it as a comfort. Slowly, she moved lower, abandoning the rag as she reached his chest.

Pressing her hand lightly against his flesh, she breathed deeply, finding her heart pounding with intense passion. Tracing her fingers over the faint scar over his shoulder, she had not seen it before, but she didn't ask. She knew that it had to have come from his brother, from defending her. From doing something only someone who loved her would do. She hated that she had feared so much from him. Taking her hand, he brought her thoughts back, bringing a small smile as she looked up at him.

Richard kept his hand on hers as she moved it across his chest, not wanting to lose the light contact. Though she sat, naked, over him, he wanted more contact with her. He needed it. It had been too long since he had held her in such a way and he had began to fear that he never would again. In this moment, everything was perfect. In this moment, he wanted to remain. Forever.

Wrapping his arms around her, he pulled her against him, neither caring as their movement caused water to slash onto the floor. Holding her tightly to him, he pressed his lips to her shoulder, kissing along it to her neck. He felt her nails dig into his back as she pulled herself against him. He could feel her heart beating through her chest, slow and steady, matching his. Sliding a hand to the small of her back, he leaned forward, lowering her to the edge of the other side of the tub, coming over her with a knee on either side of her.

Holding him close to her, she stretched her legs, filling the tub as he held himself over her. Their bodies were barely touching, but the moment was more than intament and neither wanted it to end. For the first time in what felt like years to them, they were together, safe in their lovers arms.

He opened his eyes slowly, allowing them to adjust to the light around the room. Breathing deeply, he smiled at the fresh sent of lavender that filled the air from her hair. She laid against his chest, sleeping soundly as he tightened his arms around her. Her hold on him had loosened throughout the night as they held each other close, laying in comfortable silence. Both taking in solace from the others presence. In their love.

Her breathing quickened as he ran his fingers through her hair, waking her gently from her dreams. He heard his name flow softly from her lips as she pulled herself closer. Opening her eyes, she let out a soft sigh at the thought of a new day. She wasn't sure that she would be able to handle it. Pulling out of his embrace, Kahlan pulled a blanket to her chest, holding it against her as she sat up.

"Can we stay in here today?" she asked softly as she met his eyes.

He could see the fear in her eyes, a fear he didn't understand. "Alright."

"I don't want to see them- For them to see me." she whispered softly, explaining in the small way that she could.

Nodding his head, he sat forward, reaching for her and taking her into his arms. "We don't have to move if you don't want to."

Pulling away from him, she took in a quick deep breath, gaining the courage to ask him what she wanted to know. What she knew he would never tell her until she asked. "What happened?"

He studied her face for a minute, trying to be sure that she wanted to know, that she could handle the words. Adjusting himself into a more comfortable position, he pressed his back against the headboard of the bed, pushing the pillows out of the way as Kahlan moved closer to him. As he wrapped his arms around her, holding her against his chest, he began the story, being sure to move slowly, giving her time to adjust.

With her back pressed firmly against his chest and his arms wrapped around her chest, he was able to feel her heart pounding as he finished speaking. Her chest heaved as she breathed quickly, trying to keep calm. Her mind imagined every detail he had told her and he spared none. From the expressions on Darken Rah's face as he told Richard what he had done, to the amount of pain that seared through his body as the lightning connected with his flesh. He told her everything.

It wasn't until he told her of his death that her heart began to calm, beating slowly as her body began to relax in relief. She had known that he wouldn't return unless he had succeeded in killing the man who had harmed her, but hearing it from his lips, knowing the details completed the thoughts that she had when she saw the blood on his face when he returned.

Once he had finished, he waited for her to say something, hoping that what he had told her had helped. After a moment, she took in a deep breath, finding her words along with the air.

"Are you sure that she has no magic?"

He was surprised that it was her first question. He had expected her to ask what happened to his brother's body. "Not entirely, but I don't think he would have left her anything. She wasn't wearing a Rada'Han, so she could have used it against him at any time."

"But she didn't. Maybe she was working for him all along."

"I don't think so. Kahlan, you didn't see her. She didn't look like she was there by choice. He hurt her more than I thought he would. I don't even think that she recognized me and if the were working together, he wouldn't have hurt her when she wasn't a threat."

"I wasn't a threat."

"You'll always be a threat." he said softly, "If not you physically, then on behalf of you. Kahlan, you were his only threat. If he was still alive and you weren't here, he would rule us all. If we- If I lost you, I wouldn't fight anymore. I wouldn't care. None of us would. You're the one that holds us together, keeps us sane, happy. Kahlan, if it weren't for you, Darken Rahl would still be where he was more than a year ago."

She turned her head, catching him in the corner of her eye. "Thank you." giving him a small smile, she tightened her arms around his, holding them to her chest. "Where did they take her?" She asked as she looked over to the window.

"She's was to be healed and then taken to the dungeon." he gave a small laugh at his words, "Just to be safe."

He could sense the smile on her face, making him wish that he could see it. "For how long?"

"That's not for me to decide. Not alone."

She nodded slowly, keeping her eyes locked on the window, staring through it at the blue that covered the sky. "His body- Darken Rahl's, what- Is it still there?"

"No." he said softly, making her turn around to face him. "I had them bring him back with us. I wanted to give you something that might help you."

Reaching to his face, she gently cupped his right side of his face, giving him a small smile. "I don't need his body. I knew he was dead the moment you walked into the room. You wouldn't have-" her thoughts were running together, so she took a moment to gather her words. "You wouldn't have returned unless he was."

"I had to do something to earn back your trust. Your love."

Tilting her head, Kahlan sighed. "You never needed to earn back anything." crawling over him, she sat herself on his lap, holding his face in both hands. "You didn't lose my trust or my love. You never could. Richard, when you left, I was so afraid that you wouldn't come back. Not because he killed you, but because I knew he would tell you what I had done and you wouldn't want to. But when you came back- When you knelt beside the bed and I saw your face, I- Richard, I couldn't breathe. I was so happy, but so afraid that you were angry that I lied-"

"I wasn't angry, I-"

"I know." she whispered. "But I didn't understand. Not until we were in the bath and you- Richard, I'm sorry that you felt responsible. That you thought that you had somehow failed me, because you didn't. You saved me. You saved me in more ways than I can say and I am so sorry that I made you feel that way." She had leaned forward while she spoke, pressing her forehead against his. "I'm sorry that I wasn't there for you like you were for me."

He pulled her against him, hugging her tightly to him as he released a soft sigh. "You don't need to be sorry, Kahlan." He said softly, nuzzling his nose into her hair, touching her neck. She wrapped her arms around him, holding herself against him as she slipped her fingers into his hair.

Pulling away, Kahlan realized that they both laid naked in bed. Moving off of him, she covered herself with one of the blankets, smiling at his confused face. "Someone is going to walk through the door with something for us to eat any moment now and we're naked." Her smile widened as he pulled the blanket over him.

"Are you hungry?"

"Starving." she said softly, knowing that he was still worried about her.

He smiled, relieved by her words. "Me too. Maybe we should pretend to be asleep when they come in."

She moved back to him, laying down beside him as he wrapped his arms around her, holding to him. "I- Do you think that we can go outside later? Zedd can distract the council long enough for us to get outside."

"If that's what you want." he said softly, wondering why she had now changed her mind about staying in their room.

"I'm beginning to think that if you let me stay in here like I want to, that I am going to ask you to let me stay forever." she said as though she could read his thoughts. "I don't want to do that to you."

"Kahlan, if you don't want to leave this room, then I don't want to pressure you to do something that you don't want to do. If you need some time, I'm here with you. I'll support your decision. Whatever you need."

"I love you, but I want- I need to push past this. I don't want to wither away in sadness and fear."

"Alright." He tightened his arms around her, pulling her closer to him. "We'll go after we've eaten something. We'll do anything that you want."

"What I want and what I need are two separate things."

"What do you want?"

"I want a lot of things. I want to make love to you. I want to go back and save our child, to look in the mirror without hating myself and I want so badly to simply lay here and cry in your arms, but I can't. Richard, I want it all to be over and the only way that can happen is if I push myself to do things that I need."

"Alright." he said as he sat up, pushing her from his warm body. "We're going to go now. We'll take some food from the kitchen as we leave. Get dressed."

Surprised by his actions, she stared at him for a moment, wondering if he was serious. She got her answer as he pulled on his pants, then walked away, grabbing her, now clean and mended, dress that laid on the chair beside the door. "Now?" she asked as she took the cloth from his hands.

He watched her eyes run over the fabric, he could almost see the memories flash over her eyes. For a moment, he worried that he had made a mistake. "Do you want me to find you something else?"

"No. It's- It's alright. I just- It's fine." Slowly, she moved off of the bed, putting on the white cloth of her Mother Confessor's dress quickly. The moment it covered her, she closed her eyes and ran her hands along her sides, remembering how it was ripped to her thighs. Zedd must have fixed it for her. Her eyes opened instantly as his hands touched her, making her take a step back and lift up her arms to defend herself. "I'm sorry." she said softly once she realized what she had done. "I wasn't here for a moment."

"Are you alright?" she nodded quickly, stepping into him and wrapping her arms around his waist. "Are you sure? We don't have to-"

"I'm fine. I just got lost for a minute. We should go." Pulling away from him, she took his hand taking him along with her as she walked towards the door. She paused for a moment, taking the time to force herself to have the courage to open it.


	7. Chapter 7

She hadn't said anything since they left the palace. He could see her, walking beside him, staring out a head of them, looking at everything as though it were the first time she had seen it. Tightening his hold on her hand, he pulled at it, trying to slow her down as she raced to get further from their home. From the council.

"How far do you plan on going?"

"It's not much further." She glanced back at him, smiling. "You've been there before."

As they pushed back some branches, Richard smiled widely. The small opening that he had found a few weeks after they had married. He had taken her there for the first time after a meeting with the council. They spent the entire night, clinging to each other in the shelter of the trees and bushes that surrounded them. It had been their first night alone that week and it had not been wasted. The memories flooded back to him, making his knees weak as he remembered the feel of her skin against his, her nails digging into his back and shoulders and the soft moan of his name leaving her lips.

"Richard?" He looked up, realizing that he had stopped walking.

"I'm sorry. I was just-"

"Remembering?" she smiled widely, surprising him. "I was too. I wanted to come back here, but we never did."

Smiling, Richard stepped towards her, taking her into his arms. "That's because the council had our room watched after we disappeared for the night. It's hard to sneak away when there's someone watching us."

"They're not watching us now." she said as she took the basket of food from his hand and laid it onto the ground.

His eyes closed as she ran her hands over his chest, pulling at his shirt. "Kahlan," he grabbed her hands, holding them still. "You don't have to do this. Not after-"

"I want to."

He took note of her word choice, only an hour before had she told him the difference between what she wanted and what she needed. She had said before that she wanted to make love to him. But, he thought to himself, if they did, would it cause her more pain? His body responded to hers as she stepped closer, pressing herself against him. Taking hold of his shirt, she pulled it over his head, exposing his chest to her hungry eyes.

Her breath against his skin drove him mad as he fought the urge to lower her to the ground. He was going to give her the chance to stop if she wanted to, giving her the control that she didn't have before. She pushed him backwards until his back was pressed against a tree, keeping him from moving as she pressed her lips to his chest. Reaching up, he entangled his fingers into her hair, gently messaging her scalp as she kissed over his chest.

His breath caught in in throat as she pulled at the laces of his pants. His heart pounding in a passionate frenzy as her hands moved over him and her lips connected with his, just as his pants fell to the ground. Pulling her lips from his she stepped back, pulling at the laces of her dress, her eyes locked on his face as he watched her movements, eagerly awaiting for the next piece of skin to be revealed. The moment her dress fell to the ground, he was certain his heart stopped. Pressing herself against him, she pulled him to the ground,being sure that he remained over her, relinquishing her control to him.

The gentleness of his touch made her want to cry and the feel of his lips caressing her skin fueled the fire within her. His hands ran over her completely, touching every inch of her the way a lover would. Arching her chest up into his, she held his head to hers, pushing her tongue past his lips. Her hands slid over his back, making his muscles flex beneath her fingers. Moving his lips over her jaw and neck, he slowly made his way to her chest, kissing around her breasts as she tightened her hold on his hair.

His name escaped her lips, as he pushed into her, both getting lost in the bliss of their connection. Richard slid his tongue over her skin, tasting her flesh once again. He couldn't get close enough to her. Lifting her back from the ground, he wrapped his arms around her, holding her tightly to him as he sat them up, keeping their bodies connected. She held his head to her chest, her head falling back in pleasure as she moved over him, using his shoulders to steadying herself. Pulling his head back, he stared at her, thriving on the sight of her before him. Slowly, his hands slid over her, making her speed quicken with the pounding of her heart.

With a gasp of her name, Richard laid her back to the ground. She pulled him from her chest, bringing his face up to hers so that she was able to look into his eyes. It was only a moment before her eyes were completely dark, bringing her to release her magic into him. Richard held onto her tightly, wishing for her magic to run through his veins forever. Resting his head in the crook of her neck, he waited for his breath to come back to him.

Her eyes were closed as she breathed heavily, her fingers running through his hair as she held him to her, preventing him from rolling from her. She didn't want to lose the connection between them. It was comforting. Pressing his lips to her collarbone, he kissed over her, moving to her neck and jaw. The small, gentle kisses brought a moan from her lips, begging for him to bring them to hers. She turned her head, connecting their lips as she pulled him closer to her. She needed more of him, of the safety and calm that was entirely him.

Pulling back, Richard pressed his forehead against hers, sharing her breath as the darkness of her magic slowly began fading from her eyes. He watched her face closely, making sure that she was alright. The small smile that crossed her lips soon put his worries to rest.

She let out a soft moan of protest as he rolled from her body, exposing her to the cool breeze that flowed around them. Turning over, Kahlan pressed herself against him, using the warmth of his body. "That was- That was amazing."

Richard tightened his arms around her, laughing as her teeth began to chatter together. "It was."

"It always is." she said as she pressed her nose into his chest and closed her eyes. Her body still hungered for his, for the passion and care. She thrived on his touch. She always had.

"You're freezing." he whispered, "Here, let's get dressed." She continued to lay there as he sat up, reaching for their clothes. Rolling to her back, she waited, knowing he would look back to her. The moment he did, she smiled widely. "Spirits, Kahlan." he whispered as his eyes roamed over her. His hand moved without thought, reaching for her.

Taking hold of his hand, Kahlan held it to her, closing her eyes as she moved it to cover her breast. Abandoning their clothes, he leaned back to her, pressing their lips together as she wrapped her arms around him.

The light from the sun began to disappear behind the trees as he pulled himself from her once again. Richard held her close to him as he sat up, bringing her body with him. "We should get dressed now. It's only going to get colder and I- I'm not going to let you get sick."

"I don't mind." she whispered as he handed her her dress.

"I do."

"Alright, but we should eat first. They're going to notice if we return with a full basket."

He smiled, watching her dress herself slowly, being sure to take her time. Richard reached out, taking hold of the laces and pulling them together, tying them as he stared at the remaining, exposed, flesh of of her chest. It had seemed so long since he had touched her and he wanted more. "We could always leave the food here and eat in bed." He saw the flare of realization in her eyes before the smile crossed her lips. "We should be warm."

"I'm sure we will." She breathed out softly as he pulled on his pants, tying the laces quickly before taking the shirt she held out to him.

As soon as he dressed, he took her hand, squeezing it lovingly as he pulled her gently along with him, moving quickly back through the trees and brush that had surrounded them throughout the day. He knew that he had to bring her back again, the small clearing was more than just a place for them to be alone. It was not a very part of their being, of their reconnection and their recovery. He was almost sure that the place had been prepared for them. That somehow the spirits, long ago, had known what was needed to heal them and bring them closer. The spirits were, indeed, on their side.

Richard followed closely as his wife pushed open the dungeon door. Slowly, they made their way down the long dark hall, bringing themselves closer to Nicci. He could see the hesitation in her steps, the fear within her. Taking her hand, he pulled her to a stop, turning her around towards him.

"We don't have to do this." he whispered, knowing that his voice would carry throughout the dungeon.

"I do." she replied even softer than him. "I have to see her. I have to know."

Nodding, he tightened his hold on her hand as she turned and walked towards the cell. She had been in the dungeons more times that she could remember, but this was more heart pounding than any of them. She opened her mouth to remind herself to breathe as she became closer and closer. Closing her eyes, she took in a deep breath and turned towards the bars.

"I was wondering how long it would take you to gather the nerve to come see me." The blonde smiled at the couple standing in freedom. "It must be comforting to see me in here. Powerless."

Kahlan stepped back, tilting her head as she stared at the other woman. "You're not powerless."

"What?"

Ignoring him, Nicci stood up and walked over to the bars that held her. "He enjoyed being with you. He said that none had ever provided him with such pleasure." She smiled widely as tears filled the eyes of The Mother Confessor. "It was all he could talk about. The look of horror in your eyes, the softness of your skin as he touched you."

"Shut up!" Richard shouted, slamming his hands against the bars, making Kahlan jump. "Shut up!"

"The reason he loved having her the most was because she was yours. The things he did to her, the things he never told you, that she will never remember."

"What did he do?" Kahlan cried, stepping forward. "What did he do to me?" Richard wrapped his arms around her, pulling her away from the bars as Nicci laughed. "What else did he do?" Turning her around, he hugged her to him, keeping her from turning around.

"Haven't you wondered why it was so easy for him to get to you? Where was your husband when you were taken?"

"Shut up!" Richard shouted at her once again, tightening his hold on his wife.

"Do you see what he's doing? He doesn't want you to know the truth."

Pushing him away from her, Kahlan turned and stepped closer to the other woman. "How could you think for even a moment that I would listen to that?"

"It seems you don't know him as well as you think you do."

"No. You're the one who doesn't know him." grabbing the bars, she leaned closer, suddenly feeling brave. "You were there, watching as he raped me." Richard stepped back, stunned by her words. She hadn't told him that before. If she had, he thought, he wouldn't have brought her back with him. "You stood there watching, until he ordered you to please the others. I felt sorry for you. In that moment, when I didn't know you, I wanted to save you and-"

"You wanted to save yourself. You saw what was happening and wanted to spare someone the pain you were feeling. You were weak, not taking advantage of the pleasure those men could have brought you."

Stepping back, Kahlan turned to Richard. "Let's go."

The moment their backs were turned, they were pushed forward, away from each other. With a flash of white light, their worlds went dark and quiet.


	8. Chapter 8

"Kahlan!" Richard shouted, pushing at the piece of concrete that covered his legs. The walls had caved in, leaving them in dust and darkness. "Kahlan!" He cried out once more, straining his ears for anything that said she was alive.

He could hear their soldiers trying to push through the rubble, searching for them, but he heard nothing from her. Panic filled up within him, giving him the strength to push his legs free. Moving through the pain, he began sifting through the different sized rocks of concrete around him, desperately searching for her. Crying out her name, he inched in the direction he had seen her go, praying to the spirits that it wouldn't be her broken and bloody body he found. He couldn't bare to lose her. Not after everything they had just gone through.

Catching a quick glimpse of white beneath the rubble, he rushed forward, throwing himself into it, trying to free her. Pulling back a large pillar, he felt his heart stop. The sight before him broke his heart all over again. The bars from Nicci's prison cell had flown into her, piercing through her. Blood trailed out of the corners of her mouth, splattering onto his face as she coughed. Removing the rest of the stone from her, he was greeted by more of the bars, sticking out from her flesh.

"Spirits." he cried softly as she turned her head, her eyes struggling to focus on her surroundings. Tears filled his eyes as she looked up at him, confused. "You're going to be alright." he whispered, hoping it would be true. "They're coming for you." Her eyes fell shut, locking in the sight of the man she loved, who loved her, crying.

He refused to release her hand as they worked around her, trying to find a way to carry her out of the rubble. The men moved, carefully lifting the stone that surrounded her. Richard stared at her chest, finding the rise and fall comforting. As long as she was breathing, there was hope.

"We have to pull some of these from her or it will be impossible to move her without killing her."

"Do it." Richard said without thinking. He didn't care what they did, as long as it saved her life. If they asked him to die on the spot, he would do it. He was suddenly glad that she was unconscious. The pain she was about to endure was more than he could bare.

Her body jerked as they pulled the metal from her, instantly held down by a hand, putting pressure on the hole to keep the bleeding down. Another was pulled free, waking her with a scream of pain. Leaning over her, Richard blocked her view of everything around her, trying to get her to focus on his face as they continued removing the bars.

"Look at me, Kahlan." he whispered softly, taking her face in his hands. "Look at me. You're alright." She could barely hear him through her own cries, her own heart pounding in pain.

"We can to move her now." Instantly, Richard pushed one of the men away from her, taking his place at her head as they lifted her into the air. His attention fell to her lips, the amount of blood doubling as she bit down on her tongue, trying to keep from crying out once more.

Opening his eyes, he met her smiling face. "How long have you been awake?"

"Not long. I didn't want to wake you." she replied in a whisper. "Are you alright?"

"Yes." Rolling onto his side, he moved closer to her, pulling back the blankets that covered her. "Are you?"

Her breath caught in her throat as his fingers ran over her stomach, making sure her wounds had healed. "I'm fine. I- I just don't understand what happened."

"Me either. Kahlan, I saw her before, if she had magic, why didn't she use it?"

"Because she didn't have it until you killed Darken Rahl." Both Richard and Kahlan turned towards the door, realizing it had been left open. Zedd, stared down at the floor, giving the exposed Confessor a moment to cover herself.

"What do you mean?" She asked softly.

He looked up, meeting her eyes for a brief moment, only to then look to Richard. "When you killed Darken Rahl, the magic returned to her. Whatever method he used to get it was not strong enough to keep it past his death. It simply returned to its previous owner. She would have been too weak to have used it before we healed her."

"Why didn't she escape once she was able?"

"Because she wanted us to come see her." Kahlan said as she sat up, holding a blanket over her as she leaned her head back against the headboard. "She knew we would go see her. All she had to do was wait."

"But, why? She couldn't have known that the magic would return to her. Why would she stay if she woke up and realized that she had her magic back?"

"Because she didn't want to. Richard, when we saw her, she said that she was powerless, remember? She wanted us to believe that she was. She wanted us to get closer to her. She intended to kill us."

"And you knew." Richard said to her, surprising Zedd. "You said that she wasn't powerless. You knew that he wanted to kill us."

"No. I- I didn't know." she said quickly, defending herself. "I didn't know that she had her magic back, that's not what I meant. She had the power of knowing. She knew what happened. She had answers."

"You wanted her to tell you what he did to you?" he questioned her, shaking his head in disbelief. "Why would you want to know more than-"

"Because I don't want to spend my life wondering what else he did to me." Her words faded as she spoke, remembering that Zedd was in the room. She didn't want him to know what was done to her. "I didn't know that she had her magic back."

Ashamed of himself, Richard looked away from her, not able to meet her eyes. "If she has her magic back, what are we going to do about her?"

"We're going to go after her." Cara said as she stepped beside the tall wizard. "She's a threat as long as she's out there. We have-"

"She's right." Everyone looked at Kahlan, who stared over to her friend. "You're right. You all have to go after her."

"What about you?"

"What?"

"Kahlan, you just said that you all had to go. What about you?" Richard asked, bringing her attention back to him. "What about you?"

"I'm not going." She answered softly. "Zedd will want me to stay here."

"But that's not why- Kahlan, you didn't even ask. You just said-"

"I don't want to go. If I go, I'm only going to want answers and you're going to kill her."

Leaning closer to her, Richard grabbed the hand that rested on her lap. "You can get the answers."

Shaking her head, she looked up to Zedd and Cara, who both stared at them. "No. You're right. Why would I want to know more?"

"Kahlan,"

"Please." she whispered, begging him not to push her.

Turning away from her, he met Cara's eyes. "We can go as soon as everything's ready."

With a small nod, she turned and quickly left the room, leaving Zedd standing there with his eyes locked on Kahlan.

"The pain will fade in time." Giving him a small smile, Kahlan nodded her head, ignoring the look of concern on Richard's face. "You will need to apply some oils, or the pain will become more permanent and they will grow darker." He could see something in her face and he didn't understand. Staring over his shoulder to his grandfather, she spoke to him without any words. They were hiding something from him.

The moment he was out of the room, Richard turned to Kahlan and pulled the blanket from her chest, exposing her to his eyes. Looking over her quickly, he sighed at the sight. The scars had grown darker and he couldn't help but cringe as he thought of how they must hurt. Reaching out once again, he touched her skin, running his fingers over one of the scars that covered her chest.

"Does it hurt?"

"Only a little." she replied, closing her eyes. "Your touch is comforting."

Looking up at her, he stopped moving his hand and waited for her to look at him. "Why would you want to know? I can understand that it's hard for you not knowing, but maybe you shouldn't."

"I'm terrified that one day I'm going to wake up and suddenly remember. I'm afraid of what it would be and I- I hoped that if she told me, it wouldn't hurt as much."

"Kahlan,"

"I don't know why she didn't tell me before. She wanted our attention and she knew what I wanted answers. It doesn't make sense. I don't understand what she wanted."

To her displeasure, he pulled his hand from her stomach. "Me either. Kahlan, I don't want to go and leave you here alone."

"I'll be fine. You have to go. They won't be able to catch her without you." She reached over to him, taking his hand and returning it to her skin, arching up into his touch. He was going to be leaving soon and she didn't want him to leave without showing him how much she loved him. A soft moan escaped her lips as she lost herself in the feelings he sent through her.

Her moan drew him closer, bringing his lips to her shoulder as his arm wrapped around her, pulling her closer to him. Grabbing his head, she pulled it to hers, connecting their lips as he moved over her. Pulling her from the headboard, Richard pushed the blanket from between them, removing the thing that kept her from him. Wrapping her legs around his, she groaned as she came into contact with his pants. Reaching between them quickly, she pulled at the strings of his pants, desperately trying to remove them as his lips trailed across her jaw.

The feel of her warm skin against his set him on fire. With each moment, the fear and panic of having her taken away from him faded as their kiss deepened. Her fingers disappeared into his hair, holding him to her as he pushed his pants down his legs. Breaking their kiss, Richard kicked off his pants, making it quick so that he wasn't parted from her for very long. The moment he returned to her, she flipped him onto his back and moved over him, running her hands slowly over his chest.

Staring up at her, he couldn't help but notice all of the new scars and bruises. Without thought, he reached up, tracing his fingers over a few of them. He now had the opportunity to rediscover her body in every way. He saw a small amount of pain cross her eyes at the way he stared at her, making her feel uncomfortable. Sitting up, he pulled her to him, keeping her against him as he leaned forward, laying her back against the bed. Lifting her hands above her head, he held them still as his lips roamed over her shoulders and chest, sliding his tongue along the the recent scars.

Arching her chest into his lips, Kahlan let out a low moan as she fought the urge to pull her arms free of his grasp and hold him closer. Taking both of her wrists into one of his hands, Richard ran his free hand over her side, slowly making its way to her breast. Her soft whimpers of his name drive him mad, pushing him onward. Her hips raised up, rubbing against him, needing the contact. Unable to continue slowly, he released her hand and returned his lips to hers, pressing her into the bed with passion.

Lifting her legs to wrap around him, she pulled him closer, desperately trying to bring him closer to her. He broke their kiss, both gasping for air as their hands continued to roam over each other's body. Mindlessly, his hands retraced over her scars, learning her body once again.

Every muscle in her body ached with pleasure, her head tilted backwards into the blankets, her nails dug into his shoulders holding him closely to her as she tried to hold off for a few more moments. She could feel her magic within her, ready to break free upon her release, upon the peak of pleasure she danced upon. He quickened his speed, feeling his own release threatening to take him over. Clutching the other to them, they both let go, allowing themselves to get lost within their lover. As their bodies began to still, Richard rolled them both onto their sides, needing to remain against her, but not wanting to crush her.

"It's obvious that your appetite for each other hasn't faded." Both looked instantly at the blonde standing in the doorway. "What?" she said softly. "I knocked."

"We're in the middle of something, Cara-"

"No, from the sounds coming from this room for the past hour, you just finished something. Now get dressed. The council is on their way." Turning around, she closed the door behind her, giving them the privacy to get dressed.

Pushing Richard's naked body from hers, Kahlan gave a soft groan of pain as she looked around for something to wear. She paused upon seeing her Confessor's dress. It laid against the wall, where it appeared to have been tossed after being cut from her body. For a moment, she wondered who had done it, but moved on, standing up as Richard tried to pull her back to the bed.

"Kahlan, you should lay down."

"No," she said quickly, grabbing a dress from their wardrobe. "I don't want them to see me like that." Turning around to show him the dress, she smiled. He stared at her with a hunger that she could never understand. They had just made love only minutes before and he was staring at her as though it was the first time he had seen her naked.

"I bought you that." he said breathlessly, trying to focus on the dress in her hands. "The week we were married. You couldn't stop staring at it, but the council wouldn't leave you alone long enough to buy it."

"You gave it to me that night before dinner."

He grinned, watching as she dressed herself. "We never made it to dinner."

"That's because you wanted to know if handled well." she laughed, turning around to him.

"And it does. Aren't you glad that we tested it?"

"I am." she smiled widely. "You should get dressed."

Sitting up, he reached over the side of the bed, grabbing his pants. "Kahlan," she turned around, facing him completely at the tone of his voice. "Do you want me to ask her?"

She waited a moment, watching him carefully to be sure that he was asking what she thought he was. "I don't know. I do, but I think that you're right. Maybe I shouldn't know."

"What you said, about not waking up one day and suddenly remembering, Kahlan, I don't want it to hurt you."

"Maybe it won't. I may never remember, or maybe he didn't do anything else at all."

"And if he did and you remember?"

Stepping closer, she gave him a small smile. "Then, I'll have you to make me forget." she whispered before quickly pressing her lips against his and walking away. "We should meet them before they get here." Moving quickly, Richard pulled on his pants, tying them quickly as he walked to the door, meeting her and taking his shirt from her hand.


	9. Chapter 9

"You think they're right don't you?"

"No."

Grabbing his arm, Kahlan pulled him to a stop, turning him to face her. "Richard-"

"I don't. I may have before, but not now. Not after knowing that she was there. She was there when he- She didn't do anything to help you. I'm not going to help her. The council only wants us to bring her back alive so that they can use her. Nicci doesn't get used. She only allows them to think that she is, to then turn around and blow up the dungeon."

"Richard,"

"She almost killed you. Spirits Kahlan, she tried to kill you! I'm not going to bring her back here so that the council can try to turn her to work with us!" She was surprised that he raised his voice at her. "I'm sorry Kahlan, but I- I'm not comfortable with her being anywhere near you. I don't want her alive."

Nodding, Kahlan closed her eyes for a moment, wishing that she could say something to make him feel better. "What if she didn't have her magic? If she had no magic, would you bring her back?"

"We know that she does."

"I'm asking what if she didn't?" she repeated softly, locking her eyes on his. "If Nicci didn't have her magic, would you bring her back?"

"Honestly?"

"Of course."

"No. Kahlan, I don't want to bring her back here. I don't want her near you."

Stepping closer to him, she took his hands into his. "She would be of no threat to me if she had no magic."

"Yes she will. If she's near you, all you are going to think about is what else she knows. What Darken Rahl did to you. She'll be your constant reminder of your pain."

"I'm a constant reminder. Everything is a constant reminder. I look at everything and I think about what happened to me, I've been with other men, I've let them- I've let them do things to me and I-" She stopped taking a breath as she looked at him, seeing the pain in his eyes. "But then I look into your eyes and it all disappears. As long as you're with me, Nicci will not be a problem."

Richard studied her face for a few moments, trying to find the right thing to say. "Kahlan," he whispered her name, surprising them both. "I'm afraid- I don't want to lose you. I don't want to bring her back." Taking a step back, he tilted his head, confused. "What did you mean if she had no magic?"

Giving him a small smile, Kahlan shook her head. "Nothing. It doesn't matter. We should go. You still need to pack."

"It matters if you think it matters."

"No it doesn't. You've made it clear that you have no intention of bringing her back here."

Releasing a sigh, Richard ran his fingers through his hair, growing frustrated. "How can you want me to bring her back? She nearly killed you! Kahlan when someone mentions her, all I can think about is what she did to you- You were laying there, dying, because of her. She blew up the dungeon! The bars that were meant to contain her, were inside of you! I don't want to bring her back."

"When I was with Nicci, before we sealed the rift, we blinded you and you still brought her back. I killed you and you- You-"

"I still love you. Kahlan those things were done to me. I don't mind them being done to me, but if they were done to you- the things that were done to you, I can't handle that. I can't bring her back."

"Alright." She smiled and pushed past him, making her way towards their bedroom. "You have to pack."

"Do you want me to bring her back?" She stopped mid step, "Kahlan, do you want me to bring her back?"

"Yes, but not for the same reason the council does."

"Why?"

She turned around, facing him. "Because she was there too. What Darken Rahl did to me, he did to her and I- I can't help but wonder if she feels how I felt. She can't be as cold as she seems."

He felt terrible that he hadn't thought about it in that way. Stepping closer to his wife, Richard nodded, at last understanding. "Alright. What did you have in mind?"

"I think we can get your magic back."

"The same way Darken Rahl took it from her?"

Shaking her head, she smiled. "No. If we do it right, it should be permanent. You would have your magic back forever."

"Kahlan, I- I don't want it back. I don't want to have to go back to the Sisters of the Light. I don't want to be away from you."

"What if you didn't have to go?" she said as her smile widened. "If I was to send for Sister Verna- Would you be alright with that?"

He stared at her, thinking her words through, trying to be sure that he understood her. "I wouldn't have to leave here?"

His heart began to pound as she shook her head. "I wouldn't want you to, but you don't have to do this. I know how you feel about magic."

"I'll do it." he said softly. "Then it will be safer for us to have her here."

"Richard, you don't have to do it. It may not even work."

"I'll do it. If you think that I should."

"You're the only one who can. Zedd said that when Darken Rahl died, the magic went back to who it belonged to. If we-"

"You want me to kill Nicci? Kahlan, I thought you want-"

"No, that's why it may not work. If she's still alive, then she may be able to find a way to stop us from taking it from her."

"And if she does?" he asked softly, moving closer to her and urging her to walk with him to their room. "Kahlan, if she realizes what we're trying to do, that may cause her to come after you. I won't let that happen."

"If she does, then I'm sure the council wouldn't mind you-"

"Would you?" He asked quickly.

Pulling him into their room, she waited until she shut and locked the door before she answered him. "I'm not sure. Richard, you should pack."

"Not until we do this."

"You don't want to do it. I can see it in your eyes. Here," he looked down to the metal she held in her hands. "you'll have to use this if you want to bring her back."

Taking the Rada'Han, he looked up, meeting her eyes. "Kahlan, what I said before- The truth, the magic- What would I become with it? I'm a Rahl-"

"You may have Rahl blood, but you are not a Rahl. Everyone can see that- The council knows it. That's why they never asked you to take the name. Becoming Darken Rahl, or anything like him is not something that you could do."

"Kahlan, I became a monster. What I did to those people-"

"That wasn't the Rahl magic. Not entirely."

"I can't be The Seeker if I have the magic."

Grasping his face in her hands, she pulled him to her, pressing her forehead against his. "Yes you can. Richard, you controlled the magic, remember?"

"I don't understand how you can have such faith in me." he whispered as he wrapped his arms around her, pulling her to him. "I'll do it."

Standing before his grandfather, Richard looked over his shoulder, meeting his wife's eyes for the courage to continue with their plan. She could see the fear and doubt within him, breaking her heart that he didn't trust himself. He trusted her. He trusted her more than anyone else, she hoped that she didn't betray it. Closing his eyes, he prepared himself for what was to come.

The light surrounded him, pulling into his body. It was almost blinding, Kahlan could barely keep her eyes focused on him as he fell to his knees. She could feel Cara's eyes on her as she stepped beside her. She agreed with the desicion and it frightened her. It took most of her strength not to rush towards him as he let out a cry of pain. Nicci must have realized what was happening. If she wanted to, she could kill him. Her friends hand on her arm, stopped her from calling to Zedd, telling him to stop, to save his life.

Every part of her ached and it was now that she began to think it was a bad idea. Richard had no knowledge of magic, he hated it and here she stood, watching as a Wizard of the First Order tried to fill him with magic because she asked him to. What had she done?

For a moment, she would have sworn that his body was lifted from the ground as Zedd shouted out the spell, his voice vibrating through her veins. Within moments, it was over. The light finished sucking itself into Richard as the room became dead silent. For a brief second, he cried out in pain, clutching his head as he bent over. Running towards him, Kahlan quickly locked the Rada'Han around his neck, instantly stopping the pain he felt. Turning around, he grabbed her shoulders, looking into her eyes to be sure everything was alright.

"We won't have to go very far to find her now." Cara said as she stepped over to the three. "She'll come looking for you."

"You don't have to keep it." Kahlan whispered softly. "You don't have to keep the magic."

Cara stepped back, irritated by her words. "Of course he does!" she said loudly.

Taking his head in her hands, she turned his head back to her, needing him to look at her. "Richard, you don't have to keep it. Zedd can take it from you and put it into the Quillion."

"Kahlan, I don't know."

"You're going to keep it." Cara said as she pushed Kahlan aside. "Get up, we have to find Nicci."

Moving her from him, Richard turned back to his wife. "You thought about that before I agreed?"

"I knew how much you would hate the idea and I didn't want you to agree to something that you didn't want to, but when you did, I- I thought that you may be happier if you didn't have to keep the magic."

"I don't know what to do."

"Yes you do." she replied softly, moving backwards, away from him.

Looking from his wife to his friend to his grandfather, each staring at him as they waited for his response. Each hoping that he would pick the one they wanted. Richard stood up, keeping his eyes locked on Kahlan's. His only thought: If he kept the magic, he would be able to defend her. Protect her the way he wanted to. The decision was made. "How long until Sister Verna arrives?"

"If we send word now, a week at least."

"Alright, then we should return when she arrives." The smile on Cara's lips drew his attention. "Pack some things, I don't want to have to stop for anything." Nodding, she turned and walked to the door, not once looking back to him, though she could feel his eyes on her. When she disappeared through the door, Richard turned to his grandfather. "Stay here with Kahlan?"

"Of course." He said softly, moving closer to the couple. "She'll be kept safe." giving his grandson a small smile, he left the two alone, closing the door behind him.

"Kahlan, I need you to promise me something."

"If I can."

"Kahlan, if I do something- If I hurt anyone, or if you think that I'm going to hurt someone. Stop me."

Nodding her head slowly, she stepped closer to him, wrapping her arms around his waist. "You won't need me to."

"I mean it, Kahlan." he said as he pushed her away from him. "I don't want to hurt anyone."

Releasing a sigh, she stepped back, removing all contact with him. "I know. Richard, you aren't like that. You won't need me to stop you."

"I almost killed you before."

"You won't do it again, but if you do, I promise I will stop you."

Filled with relief, he pulled her back into his arms, holding her tightly. "Thank you."


	10. Chapter 10

"How long do you want to keep this from him?"

"I don't want to tell him and then have to go through that pain again." she whispered, stepping closer to him so that the people walking around them wouldn't hear. "I don't want to do that to you."

"Would you be able to handle the loss alone? You shouldn't do this alone."

"I'm not. You're here." she whispered as they entered the dining hall. "Please don't tell him- anyone."

Laying his hand gently on her shoulder, he gave her a small smile. "You should tell him. He deserves to know. He needs the joy."

"I know, but- If this doesn't work out, I don't want to disappoint him again."

"You could never disappoint him, child. He loves you. He cares more about you than the air in his lungs." She felt her eyes tear as she turned around to look at him. "You should tell him."

"I'm so afraid that it's going to destroy us." she confessed quietly. "Zedd, if we lose this child, I don't think I'll survive. I can't do that to him. Not again."

With his smile fading, the wizard pulled the Confessor into his arms, hugging her tightly. "Everything will be fine, dear one. Trust me. I've checked for any and all signs of distress and I have found nothing." Kahlan pulled back, looking into his eyes. "You've healed better than I thought, the child should have no trouble growing within you. Though the child is not yet old enough for me to find some of the other possibilities, at this point, there is nothing wrong."

"I'll tell him when he returns. After he spends some time with Sister Verna. She arrives in two days."

"He's not going to go near her unless he has been with you first."

She felt her cheeks redden as she imagined his return and the feel of his lips against hers and her skin. "It will only distract him."

"Or it could push him on. Make him focus on his lessons so that he can be here for you. For you both. Tell him." Looking past her, his eyes landed on the table filled with food. "They're serving my favorite today. Let's eat. You both will need the strength."

"It was not my intention do cause you harm."

"You blew up the dungeon." Cara smirked as she pushed Nicci forward. "Yes, you didn't mean to kill them."

Turning her head towards Richard, she frowned. "I did not know it would bring down the walls. I only wanted to be free."

"Why didn't you ask?"

"You wouldn't have let me go. The Mother Confessor wanted answers and she would have done anything to get them."

"You're wrong." Richard whispered, keeping his eyes on the ground as he tried to calm his anger. "You nearly killed her." he growled, tightening his hands into fists. He could feel his anger towards her rebuilding up within him, threatening everything as he remembered the site of his wife laying before him, dying.

"It was not my intention-"

"To harm her." Richard finished her sentence, "Then why would you do it? Why would you not wait until we were-"

"Because I wanted you to know I had left. I wanted you to know that you were no match to me. I wanted it to be made clear that I wouldn't answer her questions. If I had, she would wish that I hadn't."

"Why?" he asked softly, realizing that Kahlan may have been right and one day if she remembered, it could be worse than they imagined.

"If she truly does not remember, then she should be grateful." Both Richard and Cara were surprised by the sadness in woman's voice she spoke. "She is better off not knowing what he did to her."

He fought the urge to ask her what it was that was done to his wife, but he knew if she told him, somehow Kahlan would figure it out, she would know that he held a secret and it would kill him to keep something so terrible from her. The silence in the air was deafening, making Nicci uncomfortable. "Do you intend to keep my magic as well as yours?"

"I do." he said in a whisper, finding it difficult to speak any louder with his mind only on the possibilities of what his wife must have endured. "I must. I will not allow you to hurt anyone again."

"It is too much for you. The training will take much longer now. Can you stay away from your wife long enough to learn to use it?"

"No, but I will not have to."

"You have sent for one of the Sisters. To train you in your home? The pain will drive you to madness before you will be able to master your gift."

"But if he gives you back your magic, it will be easier for him?" Cara asked as she pushed on her shoulder, urging her faster.

"I could be useful to you- to your wife."

"You're not going to get near her." he said as he pulled her to a stop, turning her around to face him. "You will be allowed nowhere near the palace, near Kahlan!"

"Does she know that? Does your wife know that you refuse me to be near her? To keep the answers she so seeks."

"She doesn't want your answers."

Nicci smiled, taking a step closer to him. "That is what she told her worrying husband, but I can assure you that no woman would want what happened to her to be withheld. The things he did to her, what they all did to her- When she remembers, it will be more than either of you will expect, the memory alone will make her beg for death."

"What did he do to her?"

"What was only a few days for you, was months, maybe years for her. Everyday, growing worse in ways you wouldn't be able to imagine. The pain and torment he inflicted upon us was more than anyone should survive."

The pain in her eyes was almost the same as what he had seen in Kahlan's each day. "What happened?"

"I'm allowing you to bring me back because you have my magic, not because I want to share what was done to your wife."

"What happened to her? To you?" He rushed after her as she turned, trying to get away from him, but keeping on the trail that would lead her back to the Confessor's Palace. "Nicci!" he shouted as he grabbed her arm, turing her around. "What happened to you two?"

"I will not tell you anything." she said coldly, looking him in the eyes. "We should keep moving. You don't want to be away from your wife any longer than you have to be."

Richard knew then that the woman had no intention of telling him anything. "Let's go."

After walking through the garden for nearly an hour, Richard found her, kneeling in the grass. Stepping closer, he saw the small smile on her lips as she pulled at the roses. Turning her head, her smile grew as she caught a glimpse of him standing a few feet away from her.

"Zedd was supposed to be watching you."

"He is." She said softly, turning around to face him. "He's just not here with me."

Stepping closer, he knelt down beside her, taking one of the flowers from her hand. "Want to go inside?"

"Not yet. It feels nice out here and I was starting to go mad inside the palace. It's never seemed so small to me before." She whispered as she rubbed the back of her hand against her forehead. "Zedd seemed to think that the kitchen was the safest place."

Laughing, Richard sat down, keeping his eyes on her. "I'm sure he did. Is that why you told him you were going to sleep?" She looked over to him, surprised that he knew that she had lied to his grandfather. "I was worried when I got to our room and you weren't there."

"I'm sorry. I- I didn't want to worry you, I went to the room and I couldn't stop thinking about everything and then I remembered that I haven't been out here in a while and before I knew it, you were standing behind me."

"What's wrong?"

"What?"

"You said that you couldn't stop thinking. What's wrong?"

Taking a deep breath, she closed her eyes, trying to think of something else to tell him. "What did you do with Nicci?"

"I left her with a few of your guards in the prison. It's the only place I could think of to leave her. It's far enough away that if she escapes, I'll have enough time to protect you, but that's not what you were thinking about."

"I- I have to tell you something, but I'm not sure that I should."

He was concerned, but the small smile on his lips gave him some comfort, calming his sudden fears. "What is it?"

"I'm pregnant." As soon as the words left her lips, it seemed the world had gone silent. Staring at his wife, he was sure she could hear his heart pounding. Smiling widely, he pulled her into his arms in joy.

Pulling back, he pressed his lips to hers, kissing her quickly. "Kahlan, this- this is wonderful!" he said loudly, his voice filled with happiness.

"Richard, I don't- I'm scared." she whispered softly, the smile on her face fading. "I don't want to lose her too."

"Everything is going to be fine, Kahlan. I'm not going to let anything happen. It's going to be alright, I promise." Cupping her cheeks, he wiped the tears that had fallen. "You're going to be a great mother."

As the months passed, Richard came closer to finishing his wizard's training, giving him more time with his wife as the child grew within her. When he wasn't training, he was at her side, being sure that she was safe. To his surprise, he was enjoying his life with magic. The feeling that he was able to protect Kahlan better, kept a smile on his face.

After a few months, she tried to distance herself from him as the memories of her capture began returning. Her soft cries and whimpers would wake him in the night, driving her husband insane that there was nothing that he could do. He offered to take away the memories, to ensure their loss forever, but she refused to lose them. She told him that they helped her remember how lucky she was to have him. After several days, he insisted that she go see Nicci and at last, she did.

Watching her dress, Richard smiled widely, taking in the sight of her before him. She couldn't understand why he still found her so attractive, but in times like this, when he couldn't take his eyes off of her, she didn't question him. Giving him a smile, Kahlan turned towards him, tying the strings of her dress.

"How are you feeling?" He asked with a wide smile.

"Tired." She whispered as she came closer to him. "You kept us up most of the night."

If it was possible, he smile grew wider as he moved to the edge of the bed, meeting her. "I didn't think that you would mind."

"I didn't." she grinned as her cheeks flushed. "You should get dressed. Sister Verna will come in here and drag you out of the bed."

"Not if you're in here with me." he said as he pulled her onto him, sending him backwards onto his back.

"Especially if I am in here with you." She laughed, "I have a meeting with the council today. I'm going to request that they let Nicci go."

"What?" Pulling away from her, he sat up, confused. "Why?"

"Because she's not a threat to us. Richard, you have all her magic and you're almost finished with your training. She can't harm us anymore."

"And? Kahlan, I know you. You're doing this for another reason."

"When I went to see her- About what happened to me, I- She-" she let out a soft sigh, her smile fading. "Please, just trust me?"

"Of course. It's her that I don't trust." he whispered, leaning towards her. "I don't trust her. Not after- She nearly killed you."

"I know, but she didn't mean to. Richard, I've spent time with her and- She's not a threat."

"Alright." He said softly, pulling her to him for a quick kiss. "Go. It's going to take you some time to convince the council that Nicci should be free."

"Not as long as it will take to convince you."

Nodding, Richard sat up, looking around, trying to find where his pants had flown after being kicked off the night before. "We have the rest of our lives."

"I hope it doesn't take that long." she whispered, unable to speak louder as he stood and pulled on his pants, her entire body fighting the urge to push him back onto the bed. Turning away, she walked slowly towards the door, forcing her mind to concentrate on the tasks of the day.

"I love you." he said softly, just as she reached the door, making her turn around with a smile.

Taking a few steps towards him, her smile grew. "And I love you."

Kneeling down before her, he laid his hands gently onto her stomach, pressing his lips above her bellybutton. "Be careful."

"I'm going down the hall." she laughed. "What could possibly happen?"

Looking up, he smiled widely. "I'll walk with you."

"It's time." Richard jumped from the floor, almost knocking Sister Verna to the floor. "She's in your room."

Rushing through the halls, Richard smiled widely as he made his way to their bedroom. Time slowed as he pushed opened the door, meeting her eyes the moment he entered. The room was filled with people, each looking upon Kahlan as she came closer to the birth of her first child. Coming to her side, he grabbed her hand, holding it tightly as she let out a cry of pain. After some time, he could barely feel his fingers as her hold on his hand tightened.

Hours past and Richard found himself once again wondering how his wife could be so strong. Moving behind her, he wrapped his arms around her, trying to give her some of his strength. Her nails dung into his arms as she held him to her, her body screaming in pain. The sound of his voice in her ear calmed her as he whispered for her to breathe.

"The child is almost ready." The older woman said as she pushed aside The Mother Confessor's dress. "It will be any moment now." Biting down on her lip, Kahlan nodded, silently praying to the spirits for the strength to get through whatever came next. "Here we go."

Leaning forward, Richard tried to see what was happening, stretching his neck to get a look as their child took a breath of air. The cry of life rang through the room, bringing a smile onto Kahlan's lips as she fell back exhausted. "It's a girl." The midwife said softly as she gently wrapped the small child.

He stared down in awe as Kahlan took their child into her arms, pulling her close. The smile on her face matched his own as he moved around, positioning himself beside her for a better look. "She's beautiful."

"She is." She replied as she looked over to him. "She's ours."

Walking into the room, his heart stopped at the site of his wife laying in bed with their daughter laying on her chest, wrapped snuggly in her arms. Tip-toeing closer, he couldn't take his eyes off of them. In his entire life, he had never expected to feel this happy. The moonlight was just reaching through the window, lighting the room with a soft glow.

Carefully, Richard sat down on the side of the bed, trying not to wake their daughter. She seemed to always know when someone was around. Always looking around to be sure she was still safe. Her tiny hands gripped Kahlan's nightgown tightly, feeling safe in her mother's arms. Reaching over, he he pulled up the blankets, covering them all as he settled into the bed beside them. The moment his head hit the pillow, her head turned towards towards him, eyes wide.

Smiling widely, he leaned forward, letting his daughter grab hold of his finger. "She missed you."

"I didn't mean to wake you." he whispered as she turned her head towards him, smiling.

Handing him their daughter, Kahlan rolled onto her side. "It's alright. We don't mind." Leaning over, she pressed her lips against his, kissing him passionately.

"What was that for?" He asked breathlessly.

Smiling, she laid back down. "She's not the only one who missed you." Just as he leaned towards her, their daughter began pulling at his shirt, trying to regain his attention.

"Hi Emma!" He said cheerfully, lifting her up into the air and smiling widely as she laughed. "How did it go?"

Moving closer to him, Kahlan grinned up at their daughter. "She was great. She cried each time a member of the council held her."

"She's a good judge of character." he said softly, glancing over to his wife.

"They want me to bring her back tomorrow. They want to test her."

"What? Why?"

Releasing a sigh, she stared up at the ceiling. "Because of what she is. She's more than a Confessor, Richard. They're afraid of her."

"They should be. They should be afraid of her and her sisters."

"Sisters?" She whispered with a smile as she glanced over to him.

"Yeah, sisters. We can't have just one. She's going to be lonely and spoiled. We have to give her a sister. Then we're going to have to give them a sister so that they get used to having another around and then she will need someone-"

"I get it." She laughed. "But we'll never have time alone."

Looking over to her, he grinned. "We will. Tomorrow, before you go back to the council."

"Richard, Emma-"

"She's fine. I left her with Cara and Zedd." He replied knowing what she was going to ask. He had woken her as the sun rose and taken her out into the woods as soon as she was dressed. "Zedd keeps saying that he never spends anytime with his great granddaughter, so I left Emma with him." Looking over his shoulder, he smiled. "She will be fine."

Giving him a wide smile, she moved faster to keep up with him. "I know, but Richard it's going to rain."

"Not in here." He said over his shoulder as she tightened her hold on his hand.

The small opening within the trees welcomed them back, keeping them dry as the rain began to fall. Stepping closely behind him, Kahlan turned him around, pressing her lips against his the moment she was able. Instantly, her fingers wound into his hair, hold him close to her as his arms encircled her. A soft moan escaped her as his lips left hers and made their way over her jaw to her neck. Slowly lowering her to the ground, Richard pulled at her dress.

Wrapping her legs around his waist, she held him close to her as their clothes were thrown off into the bushes. The rain drizzled over them, cooling their burning bodies as the clung to each other. His name escaped her lips, as his tongue slid over her skin, tasting her flesh. Arching her back from the ground, Kahlan let him wrap his arms around her, to hold her tightly to him as they connected. She held his head to her chest, her head leaning back in pleasure as his hands began to move over her, making her breathing quicken and her heart pound.

Before they realized, the sun burned down upon them, reminding them of the time. Rolling off of her, Richard smiled widely as she rolled onto her side, trying to keep herself in his arms. His heart pounding against his chest. "You're going to miss the meeting with the council."

"They can't have the meeting without me." she laughed softly. "They need me to get near Emma, or they're going to have an upset, untrained Confessor on their hands."

The sound of his laughter ran through the trees, "And if she's anything like you, she'll have them quivering before her."

"I don't make them-"

"Yes you do. They're all terrified of you."

Moving to her elbows, Kahlan rested her chin in the palm of her hand, looking down at him. "I haven't noticed."

Smiling widely, he shook his head. "Yes, you have, but you're used to them looking at you, or reacting that way."

"And how do they look at you?" She asked softly, a small smile crossing her lips.

"Annoyed."

Without warning a burst of laughter escaped her, reaching up, she covered her mouth as she tried to drown it out. "They're not used to someone who doesn't follow orders blindly. You do what you want, not what they want you to."

He stared at her, enjoying the view and the sound of her laugh. The smile that crossed her face, spread to his as he pulled her back into his arms, feeling incomplete without her. "Do you think Emma will pass the tests that the council has planned?"

"I don't know. There's never been a Confessor like her before. I don't think that they can make a proper decision, but they're going to try."

"Kahlan, what if they think that she's- What if they make the wrong one?" He whispered softly, hating himself for asking.

Shaking her head against him, she sighed. "I'm not sure. I'm afraid that they will. She's more dangerous than all other Confessors and I'm afraid that's all they will see."

"The same way they see male Confessors?"

"Richard, if that's how they see her, we're going to have two choices."

"No we won't. We're going to protect her, that leaves us with one."

She could hear the anger growing in his voice, making it clear that if the council deemed their daughter a threat, he would kill them. "We should head back. I don't want them to get near her without me and Sister Verna will be looking for you."

"I think that we should wait a few more minutes." He said as she sat up and looked around for her dress.

Glancing over to him, she smiled widely. "If we wait, we're going to end up spending the day here."

"We can." He smiled, playfully taking her dress from her hands. "They won't notice we're gone until after-"

Pressing her lips to his, she cut him off, moving back into his arms as she abandoned her dress. If they could spend a little more time together, she wasn't going to deny herself the pleasure.

***END***


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